Cuny – Update on COVID-19 Protocols for the Pediatric Dentist-Cuny View Course video CSPD

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The CSPD hosted a recorded webinar, “Update on COVID-19 Protocols for the Pediatric Dental Practice,” moderated by Vice President Don Schmidt and presented by infection control expert Professor Eve Cooney (UOP Dugoni). CSPD leaders also announced upcoming continuing education events, including a team CE course on medical emergencies/sedation safety and the CSPD Annual Meeting in Scottsdale.<br /><br />Cooney reviewed U.S. COVID-19 trends, noting case counts are harder to track due to home testing, while deaths remain a useful indicator. Delta still accounted for most U.S. cases at the time, with Omicron expected to grow in early 2022 and potentially evade immunity from prior infection. She emphasized monitoring local community transmission using the CDC county tracker and continuing layered infection-control measures.<br /><br />Key guidance for dental offices included: maintaining screening for symptoms, recent positive tests, and quarantine/work-exclusion criteria for all entrants; using universal masking/source control as appropriate; limiting waiting-room crowding; and optimizing ventilation/engineering controls. She distinguished “source control” masking from PPE. For aerosol-generating procedures, she stressed continued use of NIOSH-approved respirators and adherence to Cal/OSHA respiratory protection program requirements (medical evaluation, training, fit testing, and a written program).<br /><br />Cooney summarized California’s healthcare worker vaccination-or-testing health order (with limited exemptions and weekly testing for unvaccinated staff) and discussed practical questions: avoid shared toys/magazines for now, travel screening is generally unnecessary, temperature checks are no longer required, dental offices have not been shown to be major transmission centers, and surface spread is not the primary route. She advised responding to staff-vaccination inquiries by stating the office follows current health orders.

Keywords

CSPD webinar

COVID-19 protocols

pediatric dental practice

infection control

Eve Cooney

CDC county tracker

universal masking source control

aerosol-generating procedures

NIOSH-approved respirators

Cal/OSHA respiratory protection program