The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the dental industry worldwide, causing most practices to close initially due to the high-risk nature of dentistry. Awaiting leading health organizations to develop new guidelines, dental practices struggled to reopen in the early months of lockdown, and while most practices have made progress to reopen, maintaining access is an ongoing struggle. Some national guidelines have been developed, but local health departments often adapt these guidelines to their own context, which complicates health centers’ ability to navigate multiple, sometimes-
conflicting documents. Like many other health centers, Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) programs shut down oral health services at the onset of the virus’ spread, and their plans to reopen faced unique challenges. Given the urgency of the dental needs in this population and the fact that COVID-19 will persist in our communities for many months to come despite the distribution of vaccines, health centers must find strategies to sustain access to safe dental services.
COVID-19 & the HCH Community: Maintaining Access to Dental Services
Categories:
Clinical Practice, Conditions and Issues, Oral Health