Dentists would resume some routine care under recommendations

CONCORD — Dentists with adequate personal protection equipment would resume some routine care for patients under guidelines approved Wednesday by a governor’s task force.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists have been performing only emergent procedures.

State health officials collaborated with a task force working group on the recommendations, which now go before Gov. Chris Sununu. He set up the task force to gradually reopen portions of the state’s economy closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Rep. William Marsh told the task force that state associations for dentists and hygienists worked on the guidelines in accordance with guidance from the American Dental Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In an interview, Marsh said dental health is an important component of overall well-being.

“Little dental problems can turn into big problems in a hurry,” he said.

“It’s better for everybody to take care of those problems early. Dental problems can even lead to heart disease.”

Unlike some states, New Hampshire never mandated that routine dental procedures be stopped, but dentists did so voluntarily based on earlier national guidelines. They wanted to work with the state in returning to more normal practice, Marsh said.

He said the new approach would allow hygienists to scrape plaque from teeth, but this would have to be done with a hand tool rather than through ultrasound, which could be more problematic in terms of airborne particles that could spread the disease. Elective cosmetic procedures would not be permitted.

Orthodontic procedures would be allowed.

Patients would be screened before getting a routine dental appointment to make sure they were not having COVID-19 symptoms and did not come into contact with anybody known to have had a positive test result for the disease. Their temperature would be taken prior to treatment.