Several dental practices in Colorado were sent cease-and-desist letters for performing elective procedures, violating the state's stay-at-home order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The U.S. Attorney General's Office for the State of Colorado sent the letters on March 26 to Rick Kushner, DDS, and founder and CEO of Comfort Dental, which has franchises across the state, and Roy Theriot, DDS, who owns his own practice in Aurora. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies received "alarming reports that several, and perhaps many, Comfort Dental franchises in Colorado" had been treating patients for voluntary and elective surgeries and procedures. A similar letter was sent to Dr. Theriot.
The letter stated they were in violation of Gov. Jared Polis' executive order on March 19, which ordered dentists and other clinicians to stop performing these procedures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to maintain social distancing. It ordered dentists only to perform emergency or lifesaving treatments between March 23 and April 14.
The ADA has encouraged dental practices to postpone elective procedures through April 30.
