Dental News - COVID-19 update: Australian and New Zealand dentists experience tighter restrictions

Brendan Day, DTI

Mon. 17. August 2020

save

SYDNEY, Australia: After months of relative success in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 across both Australia and New Zealand, recent developments have resulted in lockdowns of differing extents being reintroduced in both countries. Though these lockdowns have been implemented for the benefit of public health, restrictions on dental services have left many in the profession with a sense of anxiety regarding their future.

When Dental Tribune International last provided an update on the SARS-CoV-2 situation in Australia and New Zealand on 26 June, each nation was navigating uncharted waters in terms of reopening dental practices. The presence of Level 1 restrictions meant that Antipodean dentists were able to deliver routine dental treatment to all patients, provided that they did not present as being at risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2. Aerosol-generating procedures, such as ultrasonic scaling and irrigation using dental handpieces, were also permitted.

At that time, Victoria had experienced a small outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 that had led to postponing the easing of certain restrictions regarding social gatherings. In the weeks since, this outbreak has grown considerably in size, and the southern state now accounts for more than two-thirds of all COVID-19 cases recorded thus far in Australia, as well as for the majority of COVID-19-associated deaths. As a result, the Victorian capital city of Melbourne is currently under Stage 4 restrictions, while regional Victoria continues to face Stage 3 restrictions.

Victorian dentists struggle during difficult period

The stringent guidelines that Victorians currently face in daily life have carried over to the dental industry. For practices based in metropolitan Melbourne, Level 3 dental restrictions mean that they can stay open, but only to provide urgent care. Dentists in regional Victoria, meanwhile, are strongly encouraged to operate in line with Level 2 dental restrictions if there are active cases in their region and Level 1 if there are no nearby active cases.

Dr Angelo Pacella, president of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch, told Dental Tribune International that the state’s dentists were focused on ensuring a level of patient safety that would allow regular procedures to be performed once again.

“The sudden removal of access to these treatments and services could have major effects for patients down the road, since there is an established link between conditions such as periodontitis and systemic health,” Pacella said. He added: “Many dentists in Victoria were still catching up with patients after the initial COVID-19-caused shutdown back in March, and so it’s a little frustrating that we’ve had to shut down everything outside of emergency services, even though there has been no recorded transmission of the virus in Victorian dental practices.”

New Zealand faces new challenges

Until last week, New Zealand had controlled the spread of SARS-CoV-2 with such effectiveness that life there had regained some semblance of normality. This changed on 11 August, however, when four members of an Auckland-based family tested positive for the virus—the first community transmissions recorded by the country in 102 days.

As a result, Auckland has moved to alert Level 3 restrictions, and the rest of New Zealand is on alert Level 2. For dental professionals based in Auckland, this means that all patients must now be triaged via phone and only given treatment in emergency and urgent cases.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

COVID-19: How are Australian and New Zealand dentists faring?

SYDNEY, Australia: Though Australia and New Zealand have, thus far, been able to avoid the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, both nations’ economies have ...

COVID-19 and dentistry: Australian and New Zealand embrace uncertain future

SYDNEY, Australia: For much of 2020 and 2021, Australia and New Zealand fared remarkably well in containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2—a function of factors...

SARS-CoV-2 update: Australian and New Zealand dentists proceed with caution

SYDNEY, Australia: As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to rage across the world, the Antipodean nations of Australia and New Zealand have, by and large, ...

Australian and New Zealand dental associations provide guidance on minimising COVID-19

SYDNEY, Australia: Though their geographic distance from Europe and Asia has proved to be somewhat of an advantage in controlling SARS-CoV-2, both Australia...

COVID-19 update: Nordic dentists continue to be affected by pandemic

LEIPZIG, Germany: Though the Nordic countries share many similar cultural and social traits, their respective governments’ responses to the ongoing ...

IDEM in Singapore postponed owing to COVID-19 restrictions

SINGAPORE: The International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) 2022 has been postponed owing to the travel and safety restrictions currently in place in ...

Nicotine addiction among the youth: Australia introduces strict vaping restrictions

CANBERRA, Australia: Vaping poses significant risks to both general and oral health, a concern that has grown with the rapid increase in e-cigarette use, ...

Second Opinion, please: AI-assisted dental radiology tool approved for Australia and New Zealand

LOS ANGELES, US: Health regulators in New Zealand and Australia have provided market authorisation for Second Opinion, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool ...

HHS authorizes dentists and dental students to give COVID-19 vaccines

WASHINGTON, U.S.: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is amending an emergency declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency ...

COVID-19: Study reports constant fear and anxiety among dentists worldwide

AL-HOFUF, Saudi Arabia: COVID-19 has not only impeded access to healthcare, but also caused fear and anxiety among healthcare workers. After conducting a ...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 26 April 2024
12:00 pm EST (New York)