Nova Scotia's dental regulatory body has urged dentists to cancel non-urgent appointments amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia sent an advisory Sunday that "strongly recommends" dentists suspend non-essential and elective dental services.
"This recommendation will be continuously monitored and stands until further notice," said the statement, which the board made available to the Chronicle Herald.
There has been "considerable concern" over the past two days about keeping dental practices open while not putting patients, communities and staff at risk.
"Also, many health care providers in community settings have not been able to secure a reasonable supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) that would be required to actively treat COVID-19 cases," the advisory said. "These factors, along with a spike in new cases and the call for effective social distancing, make it clear that action is required."
The board noted that under a provincial directive issued this week, all public sector employees are required to self-isolate for 14 days when they get back to Canada. This includes health-care workers, teachers and civil servants.
"Private sector health care workers must also follow this directive. This means that any dentist, registered dental assistant, or other staff members who has travelled outside of Canada must self-isolate for 14 days after returning to the country."
