In accordance with our mandate to act in the public’s interest and based on recommendations from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), please be advised that all non-essential and elective dental treatment and any aerosol producing procedures have been suspended immediately and indefinitely. Please note that this recommendation is province-wide, therefore all dentists in Ontario are expected to follow them.
The RCDSO has further stated that attempts to stay open for any treatment other than true emergency treatment would be a violation of current government and Public Health recommendations and could be interpreted as an act of professional misconduct.
A true dental emergency is defined as:
• Oral-facial trauma
• Infection and pain with visible signs of swelling in combination with difficulty seeing or trouble breathing
• Prolonged, uncontrollable bleeding
We will continue to check our voicemail messages and return calls throughout the week. Screening will initially be done by phone, so please don’t come to the practice in person if you haven’t called ahead and were approved to be seen at a specified time. As we cannot generate aerosols, we are limited to exams, simple extractions, and management with pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, pain managements, etc.) until we have clearance from the RCDSO and Public Health to resume standard, aerosol producing dental treatment.
For more information, you can visit our current guidelines:
RCDSO Guidance on Emergency Situations
Public Health Ontario IPAC Guidelines for Aerosol Generation
Thank you for your understanding and support as we work through these challenges together. Take care of yourselves and your families and above all else, stay safe!
Sincerely,
Dr. E. Tyler McNicholl