Reopening Dental Practices During COVID-19

Once COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic in March, Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments rapidly implemented drastic public health and safety measures aimed at reducing the spread of the disease. These measures involved shutdowns across nearly every sector and industry; dentists had to shutter their practices and suspend all non-essential services.

After some success with "flattening the curve," on May 26, 2020, the Ontario Ministry of Health lifted restrictions to allow for the gradual resumption of select healthcare services, including dental services. The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario released a list of 48 recommendations to guide its members in safely re-opening of their practices. A number of these measures, including introducing a vacancy period between patient visits, stringent disinfections, and allowing for substantial physical space between all patients, will ultimately drastically reduce patient flow. Coupled with