Any concerns that schools/clinics may close again?

[TheSandlapper]

With record numbers coming out again and again recently is anyone concerned that our schools/clinics may close again? Anyone hear anything about it from their professors/school administrators?

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[oralcare123]

Schools are still testing all patients, right? They need money, desperately. They don't want any reasons to refund tuition
I think closures are unlikely, unless the whole state closes

 

[New_Vegas]

Schools are still testing all patients, right?

Lol, no. My school doesn't test anyone.

 

[Ivy.ch]

Our school hasn’t tested a single patient.

Unless the governor shuts us down, we are open.

 

[TheSandlapper]

As the others, my school does not test patients. An attending at mine also accidently let slip that a student who was in the clinics tested positive, something that the other doctors/administrators haven't breathed a word of.

 

[Ivy.ch]

As the others, my school does not test patients. An attending at mine also accidently let slip that a student who was in the clinics tested positive, something that the other doctors/administrators haven't breathed a word of.

We’ve had faculty and students test positive. When all the dental presidents met for their monthly meeting, they said a few schools had students testing positive.

but is does feel like March all over again. They might say “don’t come back” during thanksgiving break.

 

[AONLINE]

We’ve had faculty and students test positive. When all the dental presidents met for their monthly meeting, they said a few schools had students testing positive.

but is does feel like March all over again. They might say “don’t come back” during thanksgiving break.

At our school undergrads are not coming back after Thanksgiving break, so I'm afraid they'll do the same to us dental students. Our school has patients complete a COVID questionnaire and take temperature before going to the waiting area.

 

[oralcare123]

This Covid questionnaire is like a thingy you fill crossing a border: did you bring Cuban cigars with you? Like I am going to tell you

 

[Firik]

Our school hasn’t tested a single patient.

Unless the governor shuts us down, we are open.

I have also been told that unless the governor does a statewide shutdown, we will stay open.

 

[DrJeff]

Honestly if most schools aren't following what the profession at large is doing, which is staying open, treating patients, following the PPE and patient screening protocols, then that is an issue that the students need to take up with their administration.

If you look at the article the JADA this past month, its very obvious that the practice of dentistry, even in the COVID era, is safe for providers and patients when the guidelines are followed.

As I tell my own patients when they ask if I'm scared/worried about practicing in this COVID era, my standard reply is "In the roughly 25 years I've been treating patients, the reality is that probably short of E. Bola, that I've treated a patient with pretty much every since communicable disease out there, and done so in a way that has been safe for myself, my staff, and my patients. And while COVID is slightly different than some other disease processes, what we're wearing now is more than we ever have. Dentistry all along has been a leader in infection control"

 

[Cold Front]

I think it’s not a matter of “if schools will close”, but if patients will come to schools for treatment - unless it’s a VERY serious toothache or emergency. I can see some students bribing patients to come to the school for treatment - like they usually do for clinical board exams.

I’m not sure what % of daily school patients are emergencies, but I’m guessing it would be less than 20% - and that’s very generous. The question then becomes - if governors and mayors in most states are giving “stay home” advisories, why would a patient who is not in pain go to the dental school for a treatment that could be delayed for weeks if not months. The school has no say in what motivates the patients in coming to the school for dental services, specially when majority of dental school patients have state insurances/Medicaid. What do patients have to lose if they don’t come to their appointments? There are plenty of Medicaid providers in urban areas. So what!?

Another wrinkle... Biden and his administration will completely be the opposite of Trump and administration covid rhetoric. Come January, expect the man with the biggest microphone in the world to tell people to stay home, even if a vaccine starts to roll out. We will be in the middle of winter by then, and there is every indication that the darkest hours of covid cases and deaths will happen then.

I had 10 of my patients cancel today; the reasons ranged from “we have covid” to “we are under stay home advisory by the (Republican) Governor”. It’s not even winter yet... we haven’t even seen the Thanksgiving congregation wave yet... and all we know is that winter will be psychologically very difficult for most of us. Just follow the trends, and draw your own conclusion how this will play out with dental schools. It’s not going to be pretty. You can have the cleanest and most infectious free clinic... but the majority people will listen to their city and state leaders before they listen to a dentist or a dental school.

 

[oralcare123]

Look - start treating each other

 

[TanMan]

Interesting part of human behavior, is that when a predicted scarcity will occur, people will go into survival mode despite what others may tell them to do. Advertising that a shutdown will most likely occur and they might not be able to get dental care works wonders for bringing in patients. Although you will always get people who are afraid of this virus, they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by those that are not afraid, don't care, or afraid that they can't see a dentist during another forced shutdown.

If some people don't want to go to your office, you should encourage them not to go, because they are a larger potential liability. I put a few notices + acknowledge form up that include the following:

Although we have taken extra measures to reduce your risk, exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit. Patients should evaluate their own risk in determining whether to visit. People who show no symptoms can spread Coronavirus if they are infected, any interaction with the general public poses an elevated risk of being exposed to Coronavirus. By entering the office, you acknowledge and agree that you assume these inherent risks associated with the visit.

Feel free to use it. It helped my office tremendously.

From an academic/school standpoint, if you still have patients, let them know the possibility of not being able to see a dentist for a long time if this transition of power occurs in January.

Honestly if most schools aren't following what the profession at large is doing, which is staying open, treating patients, following the PPE and patient screening protocols, then that is an issue that the students need to take up with their administration.

If you look at the article the JADA this past month, its very obvious that the practice of dentistry, even in the COVID era, is safe for providers and patients when the guidelines are followed.

As I tell my own patients when they ask if I'm scared/worried about practicing in this COVID era, my standard reply is "In the roughly 25 years I've been treating patients, the reality is that probably short of E. Bola, that I've treated a patient with pretty much every since communicable disease out there, and done so in a way that has been safe for myself, my staff, and my patients. And while COVID is slightly different than some other disease processes, what we're wearing now is more than we ever have. Dentistry all along has been a leader in infection control"

We are definitely the leaders in infection control. Unfortunately, I haven't tested positive yet (and no antibodies!) and I'm seeing more patients than ever. I think it goes to show that proper PPE significantly reduces transmission risk in a highly aerosolized environment.

This Covid questionnaire is like a thingy you fill crossing a border: did you bring Cuban cigars with you? Like I am going to tell you

People are starting to wisen up and know the consequences of a positive test result to their personal lives. When this all first started, it's like people were jumping head over heels to try and get tested without knowing the precision/accuracy of these tests. Now that the stakes are higher for people's personal lives, I think we may see less spikes just because less people will get tested.

 

[Cold Front]

People are starting to wisen up and know the consequences of a positive test result to their personal lives. When this all first started, it's like people were jumping head over heels to try and get tested without knowing the precision/accuracy of these tests. Now that the stakes are higher for people's personal lives, I think we may see less spikes just because less people will get tested.

You are giving the average person too much credit to understand what they are up against. There is a reason why the US is the #1 covid hotspot in the world, and before anyone jumps at this post and says “if you don’t like it here, go elsewhere”... it’s really about people’s mindset of “don’t tell me what to do”. We are mostly a society, for lack of better words, that has no faith in science but choose to be self proclaimed experts in civil liberties through conspiracy theories the communities they live in hones on them, or the people they follow on social media shapes their perspective of the real world.

I’m of the opinion that most dentists have treated at least an asymptomatic covid positive patient without their knowledge at some point in the past 9 months - and they will never know who that patient was. The covid tests always have their fair share of accuracy issues; specially the QC side of the reagents and the process itself. So just because a patient feels fine and has tested negative, may not mean they really are negative and should be seen for dental services. So dentists would be fooling themselves to think we can fully avoid the virus entering our clinics. No dentist can 100% claim that, it’s inevitable.

The movie Predator comes to mind... Arnold and his team of mercenaries never stood a chance against the invisible enemy. We are just going to fight this virus until we have the vaccine widely available to majority of people. Could be another 6-12 months or longer. Until then, we are at the mercy of the institutions we stand behind (local government, ADA, CDC, etc) to have a strong influence on our patients coming to their appointments and our day to day affairs/operations at our practices. Exhibit A: First National Lockdown. Exhibit B: current curfews and imminent local lockdowns (like my city with 15% positivity covid rate).

 

[New_Vegas]

From an academic/school standpoint, if you still have patients, let them know the possibility of not being able to see a dentist for a long time if this transition of power occurs in January.

I've only had a couple of patients not want to come back because of covid. Ironically, these patients are in their 20s or 30s. ALL of my patients who are older (in their 60s, 70s, and 80s) have been coming back to see me and aren't worried about covid at all. This is fine with me because the older patients are the ones are the ones where I'm getting all my requirements like crowns, RPDs, dentures, etc. Seems to be the story around my school, people aren't scared about covid.