A Message to our Patients Regarding COVID-19

A Message to our Patients Regarding COVID-19

Based on recent COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS from the ADA and the CDC, and later MANDATED by the Cabinet for Health and Human Services, Hughes Family Dental is temporarily changing the way our practice operates and closing to all non-emergencies. We completely agree with this mandate and our leaders. This is absolutely necessary to #flattenthecurve of COVID-19 and will serve to protect our amazing staff and their family, our patients, and our community.

TEMPORARY CHANGES TO OUR SCHEDULE

We will be rescheduling all non-urgent dental appointments (cleanings, fillings, crowns, cosmetic procedures, etc.) through April 5th, and possibly later if required. We have texted, emailed, and called all scheduled patients this affects.

As soon as we return, we will immediately begin rescheduling all patients to the best of our ability. Our team plans to work additional hours to see our patients as quickly as possible. This will include additional late hours, Fridays, and Saturdays. EVERY patient’s dental needs are important to us, and we have a system in place to “treat the worst first” meaning we will address pain, broken teeth, and any larger decay first when we return.

We are checking voicemails daily and will return all calls as soon as possible. Additionally, our answering system will also allow patients to leave a message for Dr. Hughes directly, as well as reach her with an emergency number. And of course, patients should feel free to message us with absolutely any question or concern on social media (Facebook and Instagram) and a team member will respond quickly.

EMERGENCY TREATMENT

The American Dental Association has now defined “Urgent Dental Care” for us as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Urgent dental care should “focus on the management of conditions that require immediate attention to relieve severe pain and/or risk of infection and to alleviate the burden on hospital emergency departments.”

Examples of urgent dental care treatments, which should be treated as minimally invasively as possible, include:
• Severe dental pain-throbbing, aching toothache
• Painful wisdom tooth
• Surgical postoperative dry socket dressing changes
• Abscess or localized bacterial infection resulting in localized pain and swelling
• Tooth fracture resulting in pain or causing soft tissue trauma
• Dental trauma with avulsion/luxation (tooth out or pushed in)
• Temporary crown cementation if the temporary restoration is lost, broken or causing gingival irritation

Other emergency dental care includes extensive caries or defective restorations causing pain; suture removal; denture adjustments on radiation/oncology patients; denture adjustments or repairs when function impeded; replacing temporary filling on root canal access openings in patients experiencing pain; and snipping or adjustments of an orthodontic wire or appliances piercing or ulcerating the oral mucosa.

Nonemergency dental procedures, according to the Association, include but are not limited to:
• Initial or periodic oral examinations and recall visits, including routine radiographs
• Routine dental cleaning and other preventive therapies
• Orthodontic procedures other than those to address acute issues (e.g., pain, infection, trauma).
• Extraction of asymptomatic teeth
• Restorative dentistry including treatment of asymptomatic carious lesions
• Aesthetic dental procedures.

WE ARE STRONGER WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER

Right now, one of the best ways that we as healthcare professionals can help to slow the spread of COVID-19 is to follow the guidance of these health organizations, and we encourage our patients to do the same. We will be sure to update you about additional changes at our practice as they appear.

We love all our patients and can’t wait to return to the office to take care of your dental needs!

Sincerely,
Dr. Karen Hughes and Team