Are You In Compliance?

To be compliant with Cal/OSHA standards, California dental practices are required to train any team member who may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. CDA has resources available to support your practice in achieving compliance.

The CDPH now recommends that vaccinated workers in high-risk settings be tested for COVID-19 immediately following a “close-contact” exposure and again three to five days after the exposure. The final version of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 ETS will take effect May 7 and end Dec. 31, 2022.

Update Sept. 30, 2022: New face mask guidance from the California Department of Public Health very clearly states that face masks are still required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in health care settings, including dental offices.

When performing or involved with aerosol-generating procedures (open suctioning of airways, sputum induction and others), dental health care personnel should continue to wear NIOSH-approved N95, N95-equivalent or higher-level respirators. 
 

The universal face-mask mandate will end Feb. 16 for most vaccinated Californians in public indoor settings, including restaurants and entertainment venues, but masks will continue to be required for all individuals in dental and medical offices and other specified settings.
 

The February 2022 issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association features articles on how dentistry has responded and adapted to the “new normal” of living and practicing with COVID-19, with the expectation that SARS-CoV-2 will eventually become endemic. 

California issued an order requiring approximately 2.5 million of the state’s health care workers to get the COVID-19 booster to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. The state order does not include dental offices, but Santa Clara County and San Francisco have since issued booster orders for dental personnel.

CDA Practice Support has developed the California State Reopening Guide for Dental Practices to help dentists and dental teams understand their responsibilities to maintain a safe environment and communicate with patients about continued COVID-19 safety precautions in the dental office.

Some dentists are unclear about whether to maintain face covering and social distancing requirements in the dental office following the CDC's updated mask guidance for fully vaccinated people. Cal/OSHA has not yet updated its COVID-19 prevention guidance for dental offices. Protocols for masks and social distancing are still required. 

Some dental professionals are facing a new set of challenges from wearing additional personal protective equipment as they adapt to providing care in the COVID-19 era. Here are some of the most common conditions to be aware of and tips to help alleviate the discomfort.