Hi dental hygienists! I am the Webmaster for the WVDHA website and am also an RDH. Like you, I am concerned for my mental and physical health as a hygienist during this pandemic. WVDHA wants to let constituents know about what is available from ADHA during this time, and what the WV Dental Board is releasing.
https://www.adha.org/covid19 is a resource hub for hygienists, even if you are not an ADHA member. Here you will see links to TONS of info. You will also see the ADVOCACY section, which states different things the ADHA is doing on behalf of its members. As of this blog posting, the ADHA is enlisting a Call to Action to continue the postponement of elective and non-emergent dental procedures. This can be found here: https://www.votervoice.net/ADHA/campaigns/73614/respond.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/dental-settings.html The DOH has released a COVID-19 guidance for the dental setting. This helps dental healthcare workers know their risk of exposure, how to limit exposure, and contingency and crisis planning.
Here you can find a link to the information regarding the Governor limiting ELECTIVE procedures for the state of WV: https://governor.wv.gov/Documents/EO%2016-20electiveprocedures.pdf
On April 3rd, 2020, the WV Dental Board released a statement regarding elective procedures. Dental professionals are to use their own judgement on what they deem emergent, but this same link details information that will help one decide what is "emergent" and what is "elective". No further statements have been released since this date, and the Stay at Home order for the state of WV has not been lifted at this time. https://wvbodprod.glsuite.us/GLSuiteWeb/Clients/WVBOD/StaticFiles/pdf/NOVEL%20CORONAVIRUS%20NOTICE%204.3.2020.pdf
While we all are separate right now, you are NOT alone. Please continue to reach out to us on the website contact form as well as our Facebook page. We will try to get back to you in a reasonable time frame. If we don't, message us again! We may have missed your message.
Please comment with your thoughts, concerns, questions, etc. and we will try and respond as quickly as possible!