All dentists are simultaneously getting a crash-course in dental triage. As a former dentist in the United States Air Force, my crash course came in 2001, when I found myself deployed during the initial stages of Operation Enduring Freedom. I was only two years out of dental school, deployed for a routine training exercise. When our plane touched down on 9/11, I found myself in a real-world situation really fast. As the only dentist in the region, I gained a whole new appreciation for how to manage dental emergencies.

The times we’re living in today are reminiscent of the times I spent working out of a field hospital performing pulpectomies and pulpotomies for our soldiers on their way to war. But the addition of an infectious disease has changed the game. Not only have our emergency protocols been challenged, but more so, our infection control practices are being put to the ultimate test.

By providing emergency dental treatment, we have the power to keep patients away from our overcrowded emergency rooms. But if we choose to offer this service, we have to be smart. We must keep ourselves, our team and our communities safe from the spread of this virus.

To minimize risk, not only does our practice follow the recommended guidelines set forth by the ADA, we have taken additional measures to maximize safety and ensure our availability. We have adopted a model that splits the staff into two separate teams. Each team consists of one doctor, one front office member and two clinical staff members. The teams rotate weekly and never mix. If a team member should happen to become symptomatic, the entire team will be quarantined, and the other team takes over. If both teams become quarantined, a third doctor and two additional team members have been placed on standby and are available to continue serving our community if needed.

There is no doubt that times are tough and patients are in need. There is also no doubt that our profession can play a valuable roll during these tough times. We all must to do our part to make a difference, whether its sheltering in place or on the front lines of emergency dentistry. We will get through this.

For a complete list of what qualifies as a dental emergency, visit the www.ADA.com for more information.