Clarification on Mandate to Cease Nonessential Dental Services
The proclamation for nonessential medical and dental services starts on March 27th at 5:00 p.m. and expires on April 16th at 11:59 p.m. If the proclamation expires as scheduled, this means routine patient care can resume on April 17th. There are some business closures in the proclamation that extend through April 7, 2020. Please note this is separate from the timeline for nonessential medical and dental services. A copy of our press release from yesterday, with the corrected expiry date of the proclamation, is below.
Mandate to Cease Nonessential Dental Services
Today, Governor Reynolds issued a new proclamation continuing the State Public Health Emergency Declaration. As part of this proclamation, there is now a mandate for all dentists and their staff to refrain from performing elective dental procedures and nonessential or elective surgeries, effective at 5:00 p.m. on March 27, 2020, and continuing through 11:59 p.m. on April 16, 2020. Emergency dental services are still permitted. The Dental Board will issue additional guidance as needed in the coming days. The relevant provisions of the proclamation are copied below. A copy of the full proclamation can be found here.
We know this is a difficult time, and the impact to your patients, staff, co-workers, families and business is tremendous. Please know that we are thinking of all of you.
-All of us at the Iowa Dental Board
NONESSENTIAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES
SECTION ONE. Pursuant to Iowa Code§ 135.144(3), and in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Public Health, unless otherwise modified by subsequent proclamation or order of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I hereby order that effective at 5:00 p.m. on March 27, 2020, and continuing until this disaster proclamation expires:
A. All nonessential or elective surgeries and procedures that utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) must not be conducted by any hospital, outpatient surgery provider, or outpatient procedure provider, whether public, private, or nonprofit.
B. A nonessential surgery or procedure is one that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient, considering all appropriate factors including, but not limited to any: (1) threat to the patient's life if the surgery or procedure is not performed; (2) threat of permanent dysfunction of an extremity or organ system; (3) risk of metastasis or progression of staging; and (4) risk of rapidly worsening to severe symptoms.
C. Each hospital, outpatient surgery provider, and outpatient procedure provider shall limit all nonessential individuals in surgery and procedure suites and patient care areas where PPE is required. Only individuals essential to conducting the surgery or procedure shall be present in such areas.
D. Each hospital, outpatient surgery provider, and outpatient procedure provider shall establish an internal governance structure to ensure that the principles outlined above are followed.
SECTION TWO. Pursuant to Iowa Code§ 135.144(3), and in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Public Health, unless otherwise modified by subsequent proclamation or order of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I hereby order that effective at 5:00 p.m. on March 27, 2020, and continuing until this disaster proclamation expires:
A. All dentists and their staff shall refrain from performing elective dental procedures, including: any cosmetic or aesthetic procedures; all routine hygiene; any orthodontic procedures other than those necessary to relieve pain or infection or to restore normal oral functioning; initiation of crowns, bridges, or dentures that do not address or prevent pain or restore normal oral functioning; any periodontal plastic surgery; extraction of asymptomatic non-carious teeth; recall visits for periodontally-healthy patients; and all appointments for high-risk patients, including ASA 2 and 3 patients, unless emergent.
B. This order does not prohibit the provision of emergency dental services.
C. This order shall be enforced by Iowa Dental Board investigators or their designees who, pursuant to Iowa Code§ 153.33(1)(b), shall have the powers and status of peace officers when enforcing this order.
D. The Iowa Dental Board shall provide additional guidance to its licensees pursuant to Iowa Code§ 29C.19 regarding the nature and scope of this restriction, to the extent necessary to protect the public health and ensure continuity of services to Iowans.
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