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 

What are these documents exactly and which guidelines must I follow?

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. The Summary Guidelines, PPE Usage Matrix, and FAQ's for Phase I documents are supplemental resources to the Phase I guidelines and should be considered similarly enforceable. Even with these documents, however, we recognize that we will not cover every situation a provider may face. As always, licensees should continue to use their best clinical judgement to properly protect their staff, their patients, and themselves.

Please continue to monitor this website for further guidance as it becomes available.

The Board of Dentistry is aware that Kentucky’s current social distancing requirements have made it difficult, if not impossible, for some practitioners to keep up with their licensure requirements. Therefore, under the authority of Executive Orders 2020-243 and 2020-257, the Board has issued a memorandum announcing the following suspensions and 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.   

Provisional Licensure - 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.

Click on the link below to read the memo: