Ministry of Health and Dental Council New Zealand Guidelines for Oral Health Practitioners

Updated 22 April 2021

New Zealand is currently at Alert Level 1. Oral health practitioners will need to follow Ministry of Health and Dental Council New Zealand Guidelines for oral health services at COVID-19 Alert Level 1.

Practitioners are 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:

COVID-19 epidemiological questions:

• Do you have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19?
• Are you waiting for a COVID-19 test or the results, or considered a probable case, or been asked to self-isolate?
• Have you had close contact* with other people in the last 14 days who are probable or confirmed to have COVID-19?

Acute respiratory infection symptoms: 

• Do you have new or worsening symptoms of an acute respiratory infection with at least one of the following: 
  - cough
  - sore throat
  - shortness of breath
  - runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip (coryza)
  - loss of smell (anosmia)
  with or without fever? 

Overseas travel and close contacts: 

• Have you travelled overseas in the last 14 days and been required to quarantine since your arrival in New Zealand?
• Have you had direct contact with someone in the last 14 days who has travelled overseas and been required to quarantine since their arrival in New Zealand?
• Do you work on an international aircraft or shipping vessel?
• Do you work or have you recently at an international airport or maritime port in areas/conveniences visited by international arrivals?
• Do you work or have you recently worked in customs, immigration, or at managed quarantine/isolation facilities?
• Are you a household member or a community contact of aircrew?

Less frequent symptoms:

• Do you have less typical symptoms such as:
  - fever only
  - diarrhoea
  - headache
  - myalgia
  - nausea/vomiting, or
  ​- the person seemed confused or having difficulty answering the questions where there is no other likely diagnosis?

*A close contact is defined on page 5 of the guidelines