Mission Statement

The Dutchess County Dental Society is an organization for Dutchess County Dentists, committed to continuing education and the advancement of current dental knowledge.

 

 

 

I hope that you and your families are remaining safe and healthy.  Due to the volatility of the current pandemic, the board has decided to cancel the remaining general membership meetings for the rest of the year.  Our concern is for the health and safety of not only our members, but the patients we treat and at this time we feel to have in person gatherings through DCDS is an unnecessary risk.  We encourage our members to take advantage of the ample free virtual CE available on the ADA and NYSDA websites.  For those members who purchased the 2020 Season Ticket, we will be extending this into the 2021 calendar year - specifics to be determined later on in the year based on the nature of the pandemic.  Should any drastic changes occur that will allow us to resume in person general membership meetings in the new year, or even sooner, we will notify our members as soon as possible.  Please stay up to date on our website and look for future emails from the board.  

 

Stay Safe,

 

Tamara Kroboth 

President, Dutchess County Dental Society

 

 

 

 

Due to the unprecedented circumstances of the Covid-19 outbreak we have had to cancel our March, May, and June General Membership meetings as well as the All Day Seminar.  

 
Because of this, we have not had the opportunity to present Executive Board Candidates for consideration and election for the 2020-2021 year.  For this reason we will keep the current executive board in place for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year.  We are hopeful that we will be able to resume general membership meetings at some point in the future months when it is safe to do so, but because of the volatility of the situation, we cannot give any more details on possible upcoming meetings at this time.  At that point we can present and vote on the new executive board.  We hope all of our members continue to stay positive and healthy.  We will continue to keep you updated on this ever changing situation. 

 

 

 

The recommendation to discontinue all elective dental work has become a Mandate effective March, 22, 2020 and lasting until May 15,2020 . Please click to read the statement from NYSDA.      https://www.nysdental.org/news-publications/novel-coronavirus-(covid-19)

 

 

Please follow this link to read the Special Communication Regarding Coronavirus from the NYSDA

 

 

Emergency or Non Emergency? ADA Offers Guidance for Determining Dental Procedures

In a statement issued on March 16, the American Dental Association (ADA) called upon dentists nationwide to postpone elective dental procedures for three weeks in order for dentistry to do its part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Concentrating on emergency dental care only during this time period will allow dentists and their teams to care for emergency patients and alleviate the burden that dental emergencies would place on hospital emergency departments.

The ADA recognizes that state governments and state dental associations may be best positioned to recommend to the dentists in their regions the amount of time to keep their offices closed to all but emergency care. This is a fluid situation, and those closest to the issue may best understand the local challenges being faced.

The following should be helpful in determining what is considered “emergency” versus “non emergency.” This guidance may change as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, and dentists should use their professional judgment in determining a patient’s need for urgent or emergency care.

1.  Dental emergency

Dental emergencies are potentially life threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding, alleviate severe pain or infection, and include:

  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Cellulitis or a diffuse soft tissue bacterial infection with intra-oral or extra-oral swelling that potentially compromise the patient’s airway
  • Trauma involving facial bones, potentially compromising the patient’s airway

Urgent dental care focuses on the management of conditions that require immediate attention to relieve severe pain and/or risk of infection and to alleviate the burden on hospital emergency departments. These should be treated as minimally invasively as possible.

  • Severe dental pain from pulpal inflammation
  • Pericoronitis or third-molar pain
  • Surgical post-operative osteitis, dry socket dressing changes
  • Abscess, or localized bacterial infection resulting in localized pain and swelling.
  • Tooth fracture resulting in pain or causing soft tissue trauma
  • Dental trauma with avulsion/luxation
  • Dental treatment required prior to critical medical procedures
  • Final crown/bridge cementation if the temporary restoration is lost, broken or causing gingival irritation 

Other urgent dental care:

  • Extensive dental caries or defective restorations causing pain
  • Manage with interim restorative techniques when possible (silver diamine fluoride, glass ionomers)
  • Suture removal
  • Denture adjustment on radiation/oncology patients
  • Denture adjustments or repairs when function impeded
  • Replacing temporary filling on endo access openings in patients experiencing pain
  • Snipping or adjustment of an orthodontic wire or appliances piercing or ulcerating the oral mucosa

2.  Dental non emergency procedures

Routine or non-urgent dental procedures include but are not limited to:

  • Initial or periodic oral examinations and recall visits, including routine radiographs
  • Routine dental cleaning and preventive therapies
  • Orthodontic procedures other than those to address acute issues (e.g. pain, infection, trauma)
  • Extraction of asymptomatic teeth
  • Restorative dentistry including treatment of asymptomatic carious lesions
  • Aesthetic dental procedures

The ADA is committed to providing the latest information to the profession in a useful and timely manner. Please visit ADA.org/virus for the latest information.

 
 
 

CoronaVirus Resources

Please follow the following links for information and recommendations regarding the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

    1) Letter from ADA President Chad Gehani

    2) ADA Virus Communication Memo

    3) NYSDA Coronavirus Concerns and Precautions

    4) NYSDA Coronavirus and the Dental Office

    5) NYSDA's website

    6) Workplace Safety Guide Issued by OSHA

    7) N.Y.S. Department of Health's website

    8) Small Business Association emergency relief program https://www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19

    9) NYS position on what is an "essential"  service  https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026?fbclid=IwAR2mh0PltvwXiLyMERva1N3EM-nh6vYYqCvlzBj0KsdZ24bTJoExAn93Imo

 

 

 

                    News concerning coronavirus (COVID-19) is evolving each and every day. As you may have heard, today, Dutchess County has confirmed that a local resident has tested positive for the first time. Local government officials stress that this particular case does not pose a widespread threat to public health.

Like you, I understand how frustrating it can be to try to sort fact from fiction when it comes to staying healthy, which is why I want to be sure that you have access to timely and accurate information. To get the most up to date information, I encourage you to visit the state’s webpage regularly that has been set up to provide the latest notices. The webpage is updated frequently and includes helpful information on effective cleaning and disinfecting, help for childcare providers and schools, and guidelines for individuals who have recently travelled internationally.

You can visit the website by clicking here, or copying and pasting https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/ into your web browser.

The New York State Department of Health also set up a toll-free hotline at 1-888-364-3065 that residents can call for additional information. It is important to remember that if you believe you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please be sure to call your healthcare provider BEFORE going to a doctor's office or hospital. To learn more about the symptoms associated with COVID-19, please click here.

In an abundance of caution, Dutchess County Health officials are asking that any event expecting 20 or more participants be postponed.

Please know, the state continues to coordinate closely with local governments, healthcare providers, school districts, higher education institutions and others. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully, but it is important to remember that the NYS Department of Health continues to stress the importance of prevention and preparedness over panic. They continue to stress the importance of taking the following basic steps to help protect your health:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands,
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick,
  • Stay home when you are sick,
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, and
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

I encourage you to share this message with friends and family so that they may take the steps they need to stay healthy as well.