Guidelines for Dental Care Under COVD-19

On April 23, Gov. Beshear and Commissioner Stack announced that non-urgent and non-emergent dental care would be included in Phase I of the Healthy at Work initiative for restarting Kentucky's economy. This was followed on April 27 by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services modifying its previous order to postpone elective care. Dental offices may now practice non-urgent and non-emergent care under the following guidelines:

 Phase I: Dentistry's Plan

 Summary of Phase I Guidelines

 PPE Usage Matrix 

 FAQ's for Phase I Dentistry

 DPH Elective Care Memo 04/27/20 ;

Kentucky law already requires that oral health professionals follow the CDC's Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings. This has not changed. However, as part of Phase I for reopening Kentucky's economy, the Department for Public Health issued an April 27 memo requiring additional protocols for healthcare services under COVID-19. In response, the Board of Dentistry, along with the Kentucky Dental Association, Kentucky Dental Hygienists' Association, State Dental Director's Office, Kentucky Oral Health Coalition, and the UK and UofL dental schools came together to develop dentistry-specific guidelines, resulting in Phase I: Dentistry's Plan. The Governor's Office subsequently approved this document, thereby making its provisions mandatory. Additional documents, including the Summary Guidelines, PPE Usage Matrix, and FAQ's for Phase I, are supplemental resources to the Phase I guidelines and should be considered similarly enforceable. 

Even with this information, however, we recognize that we will not cover every situation a provider may face. In the absence of clear direction in these documents, the Board recommends following the CDC's Guidelines for Dental Settings Under COVID-19. Finally, licensees should continue to use their best clinical judgement to properly protect their staff, their patients, and themselves.

Under the authority of Executive Orders 2020-243 and 2020-257, the Board issued an April 17 memorandum announcing the following temporary changes to the rules governing the practice of dentistry:

CPR Certification - The requirement that dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants maintain an active CPR certification is suspended until 90 days after the order to postpone elective procedures is rescinded.

ACLS / PALS Certification - The requirement that sedation permit holders maintain an active ACLS or PALS certification is suspended until 90 days after the order to postpone elective procedures is rescinded.

CE Requirements - All other Continuing Education requirements will be extended for 90 days after their original deadlines (license renewal deadlines are unchanged).   

Provisional Licensure - Recent dental and dental hygiene school graduates who are unable take the clinical examination but meet all other licensure requirements are eligible to receive a temporary license.

Specialists Practicing General Dentistry - Specialists can now practice general dentistry in an emergency capacity while the state of emergency is in effect.

A revised memo was issued on July 20 extending the expiration date of provisional licenses to Sept. 25, 2020. All other provisions of the original April 17 memo are unchanged.