Back to Practice

From boosting the practice’s online presence to sending e-newsletters, here are the top five strategies McNickle recommends to stay virtually connected to patients and maintain their trust and confidence, which will be beneficial once business returns to normal.

As California and some counties in the state begin to loosen stay-at-home orders and dentists begin the process of returning to practice, dentists may still wish to consider using telehealth to reduce in-office patient volume. From processing insurance claims to Medi-Cal coverage, here are seven things you need to know about utilizing telehealth services during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Associate dentists who are independent contractors or sole proprietors can apply online now for weekly financial benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Recent dental school graduates and others who lack sufficient work history, may also qualify for the COVID-19-related emergency unemployment assistance.

Tell employees the "new normal" before returning to practice.

Step-by-step guide to help you prepare for and facilitate a formal training session with your team to get ready for safely welcoming patients back to your practice.

Useful checklist to teach, discuss and practice important staff and office procedures.

In July, California-licensed dental professionals whose licenses expire in July and August were given through Dec. 1 to complete their required C.E. according to a waiver issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The DCA on Aug. 27 issued a new waiver giving licensed dentists, RDHs and RDAs through Feb. 27, 2021, to complete the required C.E. and testing for license renewal.

Recorded webinar on the use of this type of respirator in healthcare. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends that dental care personnel “wait 15 minutes after completion of clinical care and exit of each patient without suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to begin to clean and disinfect room surfaces.”

After reviewing tests showing that authorized respirators manufactured in China can “vary in their design and performance,” the FDA chose to remove certain products from its list of respirators that can be decontaminated for reuse during the current public health emergency.

How to clean & disinfect facilities.

Although dental practices in California have suspended routine care to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in accordance with the state directive and CDC recommendation, dentists must either remain available to patients of record who require emergency dental treatment or have arranged coverage for emergencies with another dentist.