‘New normal’: Saskatchewan dentists prepare to accept more patients under COVID-19 protocols

A routine trip to the dentist’s office will look a little different for Saskatchewan patients in the coming weeks.

“It won’t be business as usual,” said Mandi Kuculym, a regional manager for Dentalook, a dental management company.

Kuculym, who oversees five dental offices in the province, said the new normal will include checking patients’ temperatures, screening for COVID-19 symptoms and staggering appointments.

“It depends on each office and its own situation, but certainly we won’t have a waiting room full of people,” Kuculym said. “They will be managed through so we’re really minimizing any bit of interaction with patients.”

Under the provincial government’s Reopen Saskatchewan plan, restricted medical services like dental offices can open May 4.

However, the introduction of stringent guidelines, including additional personal protective equipment, could prevent patients getting into the chair next week.

Wells said the SDHA is in the process of creating a pandemic protocol to guide its 700 hygienists back to work safely.

The College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CDSS) released a similar framework for its dentists to follow.

The document is a phased approach, only outlining the first phase. It provides a list of allowable procedures, including urgent and emergency.

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Limited electives are allowed and powered instruments are only authorized in certain cases. That means a regular cleaning can only be performed with hand scaling tools, not ultrasonic instruments.

In the framework, the CDSS recommends “dental professionals complete emergent and urgent care as a priority.”

“When we reopen in whatever office it is, it’s going to be slow. It’s going to open in phases and we’ll progress up to as close to what business was before,” Kuculym said. “It’s going to be a learning curve for everybody.”

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A new look comes with the new normal.

Depending on the procedure, patients could see medical professionals in layers of masks, gowns, gloves, and even face shields, according to Kuculym.

“Between each patient, we’re essentially shedding that outer layer and getting clean for every patient,” Kuculym said.

In what tends to be an already sterile environment, Kuculym said measures for cleaning up and wiping down will also be more stringent. More time throughout the day will be allotted to that.

“It will be more time consuming because of the added precautions,” said Kuculym, adding that could impact the number of patients that can be seen in a day. “It will be our new normal.”

While protocols may change as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Kuculym is confident dental offices are ready to handle the new way of work.

“We wouldn’t open if we weren’t ready, so once the offices are open you know they’re ready to see patients.”