Becker's Dental + DSO Review

14 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 3 AUGUST 2020 QUALITY & INFECTION CONTROL UCLA dental school failed to implement COVID-19 safety practices, staff and residents say By Gabrielle Masson D illon, Colo.-based dental practice Innovative Family Dental temporarily closed its doors after two of its staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The University of California, Los Angeles School of Den- tistry failed to implement several COVID-19 safety prac- tices, several residents and faculty members told the Dai- ly Bruin. More than a dozen dental faculty members and resi- dents claim the school's response to the pandemic was inadequate and described communication issues as clinics prepared to reopen in July. Most spoke under the condition of anonymity, citing a fear of retaliation, and are referred to as faculty member A and residents B, C, D, E and F. For weeks, the dental school didn't provide N95 respi- rators for all procedures, and when they did, the masks were expired, according to the Daily Bruin. When the school replaced the old respirators with new ones, lead- ership attempted to bypass mandatory fit tests, staff and students claim. Faculty and residents voiced concern, ac- cording to the Daily Bruin, and the school began fit tests for the new respirators, according to a June 15 email writ- ten by Associate Dean Paulo Camargo, DDS. On June 10, the school updated protocol to only re- quire N95 respirators during procedures that gener- ate "moderate to heavy" aerosol amounts, following the California Dental Association's recommendations. However, the CDC recommends that all providers use N95 respirators when within 6 feet of unmasked pa- tients. At least three faculty and residents said they purchased their own respirators to use both at the school and in private practice. "I feel like they just want to do the minimum required," resident C told the Daily Bruin. "I honestly don't know why." The school has held several meetings to address safety concerns, though some faculty and residents claim lead- ership failed to act and even threatened to punish some individuals for speaking out. "The health and safety of our entire dentistry com- munity has been, and continues to be, our number one priority at all times," Brianna Aldrich, director of communications for the School of Dentistry, said in an emailed statement to the Daily Bruin. n Dentists hold ground on infection control fees amid patient complaints By Katie Adams D entists nationwide are adding charges to patient bills to pay for the infection control materials needed to safely reopen their practices, according to NBC News. These fees, which many dentists are now referring to as "infection control fees," usually range from $10 to $20 and are often met with dissent from patients. Dentists argue they need the money to cover the cost of face shields, masks, gowns and air purifiers to protect their staff and patients from COVID-19. The prices of these infection control ma- terials have skyrocketed during the pandemic. Many dentists are facing additional financial woes because of de- creases in appointments, stemming from patients who do not feel safe returning to dental offices yet and the need to space out ap- pointments to avoid crowding waiting rooms. Rishi Desai, the director of operations and finance at Austin, Tex- as-based dental chain Swish Dental, told NBC News his practices were paying $6 for a box of 20 masks before the pandemic but that price is now $6 for a single mask. His offices are operating at about half capacity, and he is reluctant to decrease staff wages. "We are not making money off this. This is just to sustain us so we are not bleeding out cash," Mr. Desai told NBC News. The American Dental Association has approved dentists to add in- fection control fees as long as they make patients aware of it before their visit. n 6 staff members test positive for COVID-19 at Georgia dental school By Gabrielle Masson S ix staff members at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University have tested positive for COVID-19, university officials confirmed with Fox's WFXG. The six staff members with COVID-19 are all asymptomatic, according to an email to faculty from Carol Lefebvre, DDS, dean of the Dental College of Georgia. After one employee tested positive, subsequent cases were identi- fied. The six employees are currently in isolation at home. According to the email, the university environmental service team disinfected high-touch areas, including the lobby, reception area, re- strooms, vending machines, stair rails, elevators and the clinic. All ar- eas were treated with Oxivir chemicals in misting machines and wipes. Everyone at the dental college is now required to wear a mask and must be screened as well. n

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