COVID-19 Omicron Variant: Are dentists open in Ontario?

Dental offices will remain open at this time

Ontario is making progress in the fight against COVID-19 and some public health restrictions are being lifted, even as the threat of the Omicron COVID-19 variant looms,

Dental offices are a very important front in the fight against COVID-19. At this time, Ontario dentists are allowed to stay open for emergency dental service and non-essential dental service. This is because dentists provide an essential service to ensure good oral health for the public at large.

Regardless, dentists must follow very strict rules to ensure public safety. This is because dental offices are still at a high risk for spreading COVID-19 given the aerosol generating nature of dental procedures, the proximity of the operating field to the upper respiratory tract, and the number of patients seen per day. All dentists providing in-person care must comply with the direction of the Ontario government and of the dental governing body of Ontario, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO).

The RCDSO regularly updates new rules for managing infection risks during in-person dental care. These updates include working with the chief medical officer to ensure strict infection prevention standards, proper use of personal protective equipment, and other Ontario government and Health Canada safety measures including vaccination status of dental staff.

Atlas Dental is your Toronto dental office for emergency dental service. We are open 7 days a week for in-person dental emergency appointments and free phone consultations. Contact us for more information

Monitoring the COVID-19 Variant of Concern: Omicron

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated B.1.1.529 (Omicron) as a variant of concern. The Ontario provincial government has announced that it is working to accelerate the rollout of booster COVID-19 vaccine doses to additional age groups and is enhancing its COVID-19 testing strategy by expanding the number of testing locations and making it more convenient to access publicly-funded testing for those who need it as more people gather indoors.

Public Health Ontario (PHO) published a risk assessment of the Omicron variant on November 29, 2021, concluding that “at this point in time, the risk of Omicron importation in Ontario is high and the risks of further transmission, severe disease, reinfection, and breakthrough infection in Ontario is moderate with a high degree of uncertainty”. This risk assessment may change as new evidence emerges.

Therefore, dental offices must remain vigilant and to continue to utilize the enhanced infection prevention and control measures as outlined by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), and to follow current public health guidance regarding testing and/or self-isolation as required.

Are dentists allowed to provide non-essential care through teledentistry during this pandemic?

Do you have tooth pain and need to contact your Toronto dentist? Dental clinics are allowed to provide teledentistry services during the COVID-19 pandemic, which enables the virtual provision of “non-essential” care to patients over the telephone while ensuring ongoing physical distancing. Dentists must exercise professional judgment to determine whether teledentistry is appropriate to manage the case or whether they should be seen in-person.

Through telephone or video consultations, dentists can gather your personal health information, provide consultations for your dental problem, schedule in-person emergency dental appointments, and prescribe medications for you to pick up at your pharmacy directly.

Atlas Dental offers a free of charge telephone consultation service with our Toronto dentist. If you are interested in speaking to our Toronto dentist for dental advice, schedule a free phone consultation using this link.

Atlas Dental is here to serve you during the COVID-19 Pandemic

At Atlas Dental, we pride ourselves on offering a clean and modern environment in which our patients feel comfortable. Our team strives for the best dental care for our patients and we have been working very hard to ensure you have a safe experience at Atlas Dental during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Patients consistently rate us 5-Stars on Google. See for yourself why patients choose Atlas Dental as their dentist in Toronto for Emergency, General and Implant dental care.

Contact us for more information.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols at Atlas Dental Toronto Dentist

Here is a list of COVID-19 safety measures in our dental office to keep you safe:

Screening for COVID-19

• All patients must answer a COVID-19 questionnaire prior to their dental visit.
• We post signs in common areas describing symptoms of COVID-19 with instruction to report to the receptionist if a patient feels unwell.
• Patients feel unwell must stay at home for 14 days or until they get a negative test for COVID-19

Personal protective equipment

• All dental staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment. This includes respirators, face shields, goggles, gowns, and gloves.
• Patients must wear a mask when entering our office.

Physical controls

• Our office has a single point of entry, and all the doors leading into our dental office are kept open so that you need not touch door knobs to enter or exit.
• There are only two patient chairs in the waiting room spaced 2 meters apart.
• Alcohol based hand rubs are available at all entry points to the dental office.
• Plexiglass sneeze-guard barrier at the receptionist area.
• Digital forms that is easily accessible and filled out from any mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
• We accept cashless methods of payment, including debit, Mastercard and Visa.

Safe provision of dental health care services

• Minimizing aerosol generating procedures whenever possible.
• Each dental operatory has a true-HEPA and UV-C light air filters to actively clean the air. 
• Our dental instruments are either disposable or sterilizable under high heat and pressure.
• We clean the dental operatory between patients.
• Staff are conduct hand hygiene regularly and always between patients.

Please follow these safety rules

• Come on time for your appointed visit time. This helps prevent overcrowding.
• Please respect social distancing rules (2 meters apart).
• Use the alcohol-based hand rub upon entering the dental office.
• Wear a face mask at all times except when instructed not to.
• Please bring cashless methods of payment such as debit card, Mastercard and Visa.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call us or send us a message.