Access to dental care

There was a list of emergency treatment providers available throughout Level 3 and 4. Now we are at Alert Level 1, most dentists have resumed work and are able to provide routine dental care.

Patients are still required to phone ahead to book an appointment so that the appropriate safety questions can be asked.

As per the MoH & DCNZ Joint Guidelines at Alert Level 1 oral health professionals will be required to ask ALL patients the following questions before scheduling an appointment, and will be required to note the patient’s responses in their record:

• Do you have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19?
• Are you waiting for a COVID-19 test or the results?
• Have you travelled overseas in the last 14 days, or had contact with someone who has returned from overseas in the last 14 days?
• Have you had close contact with other people in the last 14 days who are probable or confirmed to have COVID-19?
• Do you have any of the following symptoms:
  - cough
  - sore throat
  - shortness of breath
  - runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip (coryza) 
  - loss of smell (anosmia) 
  with or without fever?
   

Dental care under Alert Level 1

As per the MoH & DCNZ Joint Guidelines at Alert Level 1 dentists can provide routine dental care and urgent or emergency dental care, for patients who meet all of the following criteria:

• Are not positive for COVID-19
• Do not exhibit any of the following symptoms:
  - cough
  - sore throat
  - shortness of breath
  - runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip (coryza) 
  - loss of smell (anosmia)
  with or without fever
• Are not a probable case
• Have not been in close contact with other people in the last 14 days who are probable or confirmed to have COVID-19
• Have not travelled overseas or had contact with someone who has travelled overseas, in the last 14 days.

They can provide only urgent or emergency care for patients who are:

• COVID-positive
• Are probable to be COVID-positive
• Are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19
• Have been in close contact with other people in the last 14 days who are probable or confirmed to have COVID-19
• Have travelled overseas or had contact with someone who has travelled overseas, in the last 14 days.

only when the room and PPE requirements can be met.