Dental practices in Massachusetts, now open for a full range elective services, can tap several expert sources to guide infection control and stewardship of patient and staff safety.

• COVID-19 and Dentistry: Challenges and Opportunities for Providing Safe Care from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality includes advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American Dental Association.
• Return to Work Interim Guidance Toolkit from the American Dental Association offers open access to resources for practices restoring services interrupted during early stages of the pandemic. The toolkit provides sample “welcome back” letters for patients in English and Spanish, as well as checklists for screening patients, preparing procedure areas and protecting staff, among other resources.
• COVID-19 practice management guidance for members of the Massachusetts Dental Society is organized as FAQs for each phase of the state’s gradual reopening of medical practices and services.

Private dental practices and those associated with community health centers began gradually offering elective services in early June, as part of the state’s Phase 2 reopening. The state is now in Step 1 of Phase 3 and the public health standards established in May remain in effect for dental practices.