It’s an interesting piece of symmetry – OR irony – that the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners effectively lifted the COVID-19 rule, exactly two weeks before the annual observance of “Outfit Of The Day” Day on June 30th. Which brings us to the question posed in the headline: WILL the “Outfit Of The Day” actually change in the post-COVID Dental practice?
The answer is…MAYBE! Will Dental office professionals (both clinical, patient-facing, and administrative) still need to walk around in hazmat suits, looking like extras on an apocalyptic movie set? Hmmm…possibly, or not. Does the Texas governor’s relaxed mask mandates, coupled with the TSBDE loosening of rules enacted during the height of the pandemic, supersede (and offer any legal protection from) any federal regulations which may still be in place? Not necessarily!
With CDC Guidelines, FDA Guidelines, OSHA Guidelines AND ADA Guidelines, it can be a bureaucratic nightmare to unravel exactly what you, as a Dental practitioner, CAN and CAN’T do. And it’s such a far cry from where we were 18 months ago, when Dental professionals weren’t even designated as “essential personnel!” As patient health deteriorated, Dentistry was expected to sit quietly on the sidelines and basically twiddle their thumbs.
Then, the era of “maybe Dentists ARE vital healthcare workers” followed…along with the same laundry list of precautions other medical, educational and retail facilities had adhered to for months. So, you pivoted once again, and gladly began to welcome patients back for long-overdue oral healthcare. Yet, Dental practices were uniquely positioned to already know the “INs-&-OUTs” of airborne infection control – since this had been in the Dental wheelhouse for years!
However, before we got too cocky, as the vaccines began to roll out, once again Dental professionals were not included in the initial classification of “healthcare workers” eligible for protection. Only after heavy lobbying efforts did these frontline workers – probably at a HIGHER risk due to the non-distanced nature of their care – in Dental offices receive priority status. But wait, it gets BETTER!
NOW, not only are Dentists considered the true “essential frontline personnel” they are, but actually empowered to administer the vaccine to their patients! If you have not yet taken advantage of this option, you can register online and begin offering additional protection to your patients…while ensuring both their safety and that of your practice staff. And this all translates into a POSSIBLE change in the office “outfit of the day.”
Bottom line, that TSBDE Rule 22 TAC 108.7(16) expiration, places both choice and responsibility back into the hands of Dentists. Compound that with EEOC restrictions regarding employee liability and mandates, and these latest rounds of “recommendations” (c’mon, we ALL know any government “recommendation” is tantamount to an edict) and regulations, you may have NO idea what you’re supposed to do…or wear! Guess what, for Texas Dentists a lot of this is what you’ve been doing for YEARS. And the gradual lifting of restrictions once again places more control back into your own hands.
The best part? You don’t have to figure it out by yourself! With years of experience working for – and IN – Dental practices, the WellDent Compliance experts can help you to successfully navigate this ever-changing “post-COVID” landscape. We’re just an email or phone call away, and we can not only guide you in navigating the guidelines, but also help you figure out the right “outfit of the day” for YOUR practice!