Dear DrBicuspid Member,
One of the hottest topics over the coming weeks will no doubt be the chase for a vaccine for COVID-19. It's already become a talking point within dentistry.
In a September 2 presentation to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine panel, ADA Executive Director Kathleen O'Loughlin, DMD, emphasized that dentistry is vital care. With that in mind, the ADA believes that, as essential workers, dentists should be given early access to a safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine when one becomes available.
What about dental team members? What about patients? Will either group be required to have a COVID-19 vaccination before entering the practice? These are some of the questions we asked dental human resources expert Tim Twigg. His answers may surprise you.
Those questions tie in with our most popular article of the past week. Public health dentists and dental assistants in Italy who treated patients while the COVID-19 pandemic ran rampant did not appear to develop the disease, according to the findings contained in a recently published article.
Let's switch gears and focus on another important aspect of your patients' health. Tom Viola, RPh, has some advice to share with DrBicuspid.com readers about recent changes in anticoagulants, how these changes can affect the dental patient and practice, and the relationship between anticoagulants and COVID-19.
Finally, on the business side, what do dental hygienists think about their current roles in dental service organizations (DSOs)? Do their thoughts match up with those of the individuals running the DSOs? Christine Diehl, RDH, BS, and Sarah Varney, RDH, BSDH, founders of DSO Hygiene Excellence, sought to uncover the answers to these questions in a recent survey.
As always, my team and I thank you for reading DrBicuspid.com. We wish you a great weekend ahead!
