The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an alert April 8 warning that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to target individuals, small and medium businesses and large organizations.

The ADA is calling on Congress to help ensure there is appropriate personal protective equipment available to all health care providers — including dentists — who continue to provide emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

American Dental Association President Chad P. Gehani has assembled an advisory task force to oversee the ADA’s development of tools for dentists as they bounce back from the effects of practice restrictions and closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A North Carolina oral health coalition, in collaboration with multiple state partners, has developed an interactive map to help guide the public to sites where emergency dental services are available throughout the Tar Heel State both during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

The ADA has received updated information from the Small Business Administration regarding grant advances on Economic Injury Disaster Loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the ADA Council on Dental Benefits’ efforts, the practice of using automated electronic means for verifying eligibility and benefits, checking claim status or receiving and reconciling payment remains underutilized by many dental providers according to an index, said Dr. Randall Markarian, council chair.

Traveling with purpose is what has led Nevada City, California-based general dentist Dr. Jean Creasey to a rural district in the southwestern region of Uganda over the past 15 years as a member of the Kellermann Foundation, treating and helping educate the villagers on the importance of good oral health as a way to a better future.

The Chicago Dental Society and its members donated thousands of personal protective equipment to front-line health care workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Administration said that as of April 16, the agency is unable to accept any new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program or the Economic Injury Disaster Loans due to a lack of funding.

The deadline for dental offices to install amalgam separators remains intact but the Environmental Protection Agency announced March 26 that it will be initiating “a new temporary enforcement discretion policy” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ADA sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services April 17 asking the agency to “issue federal recognition that licensed dentists may administer point of service tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ADA is urging dentists to be cautious about using novel coronavirus diagnostic tests before they have been properly evaluated and made available for dentists.

Two of the authors of the American Dental Association's antibiotics guideline will discuss C. diff infections and antibiotic stewardship in dentistry April 21 as part of a free, online conference organized by the Peggy Lillis Foundation.

Wisconsin dentists have answered the call for personal protective equipment by organizing drives and donating their surplus supplies to hospitals and urgent care facilities treating patients with COVID-19.

“To aid dentists who may be reopening their practices when state mandates are lifted,” the ADA issued an updated statement and interim guidance April 18 on the personal protective equipment recommended in order to practice during this pandemic and minimize the risk of virus transmission.

COVID-19 and dental offices

Oregon Dental Association dentists, volunteers donate more than 600,000 pieces of PPE to help emergency relief efforts

The ADA, Organized Dentistry Coalition, and many state dental associations are asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to release funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Provider Relief Fund to assist dental Medicaid providers.

The American Dental Association and Florida Dental Association have postponed registration for the ADA FDC Annual Meeting from April 22 to early summer, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced April 20 that it is ending the temporary period of non-enforcement of paid leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Association staff and members of the ADA Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery are aware and working diligently in addressing members’ concerns over the limited availability of certain personal protective equipment items.

The American College of Emergency Physicians has endorsed the American Dental Association's clinical practice guideline on the use of antibiotics for the management of pulpal- and periapical-related pain and swelling.

The Organized Dentistry Coalition is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to “extend federal authorization for licensed dentists to conduct Food and Drug Administration-authorized, point-of-care testing” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overfill of medication or obturation materials in endodontic treatment can cause permanent neurologic injury, and there are steps clinicians can take to help prevent that, according to an article published in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

As Congress works on the next coronavirus-related relief package, the ADA and 37 other health care organizations are asking lawmakers to support nonprofit groups in those efforts.

The ADA is urging third-party payers to alter their fees to account for the increasing cost of personal protective equipment that dentists are using to protect themselves, their staff and patients.

A recorded webinar will stream April 27 outlining the Association’s interim recommendation for personal protective equipment in dental settings as some states consider loosening social distancing mandates.

The House of Representatives passed a new coronavirus relief bill April 23 that calls for additional funding for federal loan programs to help businesses nationwide, including dental practices, recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Scottsdale, Ariz. — In February, the Arizona Dental Association was fully prepared to host the Western Regional Dental Experience April 2-4 at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel and Spa.

The Small Business Administration will resume accepting Paycheck Protection Program loan applications at 10:30 a.m. EST on April 27 from “approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower,” the agency said.

The ADA's Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery has developed a toolkit to help dentists return to more normal practice operations while taking precautions to protect staff, patients and themselves from COVID-19 as some states reopen.

The third round of results from the ADA Health Policy Institute poll on the impact of COVID-19 on dental practices was released April 27, with 79% of dentists reporting their practices are closed except for emergencies and 17% are closed completely.

The ADA is asking the Federal Communications Commission to extend the agency’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program to include dental practices regardless of the practice’s size, location or for-profit status.

If this were a typical day, and if these were typical times, LaShonda would be in her pediatrics competency exam, fresh off a cup of coffee, before heading to a three-hour simulation lab.

As some dental practices begin plans to reopen and provide nonemergency care — as some states reopen following the direction of their state — the Association is urging dentists to have robust communication and engage their dental team members to address any concerns related to returning to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two additional Delta Dental member companies announced details April 27-28 of programs that will provide economic assistance and post-COVID-19 pandemic relief for members of its independent provider networks across 16 states and the District of Columbia.

Dentists can find regulations, recommendations and mandates regarding the practice of dentistry in their state during the COVID-19 pandemic on the ADA Center for Professional Success.

The U.S. Department of Labor said April 28 that it is extending the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 filing deadlines for certain notice and disclosure requirements in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Rafael "Ray" Bowen, who made significant contributions to dental materials research and retired in 2018 after 62 years at the American Dental Association, has died.

ADA Member Advantage announced May 1 that it has selected Best Card as its exclusively endorsed credit card processing solution for Association members.

There is no playbook for a pandemic. The global COVID-19 crisis is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes. There are very few, if any, practical models for us to follow. Now, more than ever, each of us is acutely attuned to the plight of our neighbors and communities.

D 1975, An Act to Facilitate Dental Treatment for Children, enacted on March 17, enables children with private dental insurance to receive care without having to wait up to several months for coverage to start.

In the face of economic challenges, the ADA has released two online guides relating to third-party payment programs available at ADA.org/virus that are intended to help smooth the path of reopening practices: Handling Contract Negotiations and Handling Eligibility Verification

A manuscript authored by the American Dental Association Science & Research Institute and Council on Scientific Affairs won the 2020 William J. Gies Award in clinical research from the American and International Associations for Dental Research.

COVID-19 and dental offices

The ADA announced May 1 the creation and launch of the PracticeUpdate Clinical Dentistry Channel, which delivers free evidence-based clinical content in general dentistry and specialty topics curated by a world-renowned editorial and advisory board.

A team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry has developed a nanoparticle that could improve treatment for bone defects.

As Congress works on the next COVID-19 relief package, the ADA is asking lawmakers to include a number of provisions to assist the dental profession in recovery efforts.

The Department of Labor released an FAQ April 27 that addresses common questions about work search and job refusal when an individual receives Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.