Dentists starting to resume treatments, but PPE supply a concern

Illinois dentists are starting to bring back patients, but some are concerned about their availability of personal protective equipment after many donated their supply to hospitals and other providers in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Illinois Department of Public Health issued guidelines last Friday outlining various steps that dentist offices should take before they begin routine in-office services. That includes the consideration of each patient’s healthcare needs, an assessment of the risks and benefits of any procedures and appropriate screening of patients for COVID-19.

Illinois State Dental Society president Dr. Chris Larsen said they worked alongside Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on the new guidelines.

“I’m very, very happy to be going back, the staff is happy to go back and so many of our patients are happy about going back,” Larsen said, adding he will reopen his Moline office next week.

Dentists were asked to postpone all in-person dental treatment, except for emergency procedures, when the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Larsen said he does not know of any offices that won’t be able to reopen due to a lack of personal protective equipment, but he said the society is working with the administration to get higher priority when equipment is distributed.

“We’re so used to having supplies for a month or two in advance, and unfortunately, a lot of our members have the supplies but not the comfortable amount,” Larsen said.

A spokesperson for Pritzker’s office deferred to a statement made last week by the society, which said they and the department are working together to help dental offices open. They added that more personal protective equipment is becoming available.