Becker's Dental + DSO Review

13 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 3 AUGUST 2020 QUALITY & INFECTION CONTROL FEMA plans to have dentists reuse masks, gowns through summer By Gabrielle Masson T he Federal Emergency Management Agency intends to increase personal protective gear supply over the summer in part by reusing N95 masks and surgical gowns, accord- ing to an internal document cited by Roll Call. "The demand for gowns outpaces current U.S. manufacturing capabilities," reads the document released June 9. Since the pandemic began, domestic manufacturing of gowns and surgical masks has increased by a few thousand per month. Now, as elective surgeries and dental procedures resume, the demand for personal protective gear is rising. The document was given to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee ahead of a June 9 hearing on inadequate distribution of supplies, and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., demanded the document be made public. The information doesn't include independent purchases by states, commercial donations, small distributors or direct ship- ments from manufacturers. FEMA also anticipates a surge of face shields from "non-traditional" suppliers like car and plane manufacturers that will meet the demand. The documents reveal projections of a decline in supply demand from hospitals. The agency also anticipates an increase in N95 respirator mask sup- ply in the fall as contracts funded through pandemic relief laws cleared by Congress are fulfilled. FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said it was difficult to make the projections, because officials had to take into account the demand for PPE from people who don't typically wear it. n Dental professionals have higher COVID-19 risk than patients By Gabrielle Masson D entists and hygienists have a higher risk of getting sick than patients, since they are on the receiving end of any aerosol drop- lets potentially containing the virus, some health specialists told The New York Times. "All that drilling and suctioning, it's the provider, it's not the patient, getting aerosolized secretions," said Laurie Anne Fergu- son, DNP, RN, dean of the College of Nursing and Health at Loyola University New Orleans. As of June 19, every state had allowed dentists' offices to resume all procedures, according to the American Dental Association. Todd Bertman, DMD, switched from ultrasonic cleaners that spray water and saliva to laser instruments when he reopened his New York City-based practice two weeks ago. The dental staff change into new booties, gowns, goggles, masks, gloves and plastic face shields after each appointment. "It's annoying as hell, but this is what it kind of comes down to until we find a vaccine," Dr. Bertman told the NYT. n Dentists struggling to protect themselves against COVID-19 without PPE By Gabrielle Masson D entists across the U.S. are spending thousands on new devices and air filters as they reopen, but are still struggling to obtain the basics to protect them- selves and others, according to The Wall Street Journal. Personal protective equipment like N95 and KN95 respi- rators, high-grade surgical masks, gowns and face shields are in short supply for many dentists. "It's been impossible to get enough proper PPE," said Don Yoshikawa, DDS, a Huntington Beach, Calif.-based dentist. "My dental supply company has been on back-order for months." Dr. Yoshikawa hasn't been able to obtain new N95 or high- grade surgical masks. He has some from pre-pandemic days and has no choice but to use them more than once, the dentist told WSJ. In a mid-May ADA poll, 53.2 percent of dentists with closed practices said they couldn't reopen because they lacked an adequate supply of PPE. Around a quarter of those respondents said they were concerned about COVID-19 transmission to their dental team. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently raised dentists to fourth on the PPE priority list, after hos- pitals, nursing homes and physicians. The agency has said it will give about 2.5 million N95 respirators to the ADA to distribute among members, according to Chad Gehani, DDS, ADA president. n

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