ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Dental offices across the province closed during the COVID-19 shutdown have been reopening their doors to the public this past week, but not everyone is smiling.
As people return to visit their dentists for dental work put off during the pandemic, some patients are being informed they must pay an extra fee for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The fee is not covered under most insurance plans.
One dental office in St. John’s confirmed Thursday it is charging $15 for such equipment as protective clothing, including dentists’ gloves, face shields, eyewear, facemasks, and dental bibs and aprons, noting some other businesses are charging up to $25.
The reason is the rising cost of PPE from suppliers, a staff member said.
“We are now, I’m going to say, scrambling (for PPE), Dental offices are open. … However, with COVID and all the things that went with it, things are quite a bit tighter."— Anthony Patey, Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association executive director
An employee at another St. John’s dental office told The Telegram that while they are not charging for PPE yet, they are considering it.
“To tell the truth, if this continues to this depth of having to supply so much, we may have to (reconsider charging),” said the employee, who didn’t want to be named.
“You don’t mind taking a hit for a little while, but if it’s the new norm, it’ll be hard to keep up. … This has really had an impact.”
Anthony Patey, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association, said while most dentists aren’t charging for PPE, some have opted to pass along the extra cost to their patients. He said since dentists run their own individual businesses — “like a small hospital operating privately” — the decision whether to charge for PPE is up to each of them.
The problem, Patey said, stems from the lack of PPE since the COVID-19 pandemic began. He said much of the available PPE was supplied to the 25 centres across the province that had remained open for emergency services during the pandemic.
“We are now, I’m going to say, scrambling (for PPE),” he said. “Dental offices are open. … However, with COVID and all the things that went with it, things are quite a bit tighter.”
Patey said the association has done its best to find ample PPE for its members.
“We have been everywhere,” he said. “There (is) PPE out there. Some (suppliers) will say, ‘I’ll sell you stuff,’ but unless you get it and test it, you don’t know what you’re getting.”
He said dentists have come up with some innovative ways to obtain some PPE, such as gowns, by working with local tailor shops and seamstresses.
He said he understands the challenges the provincial government is having getting PPE.
“It’s been quite a challenge for us,” Patey said. “We’ve been giving government a hard time, but I honestly believe if the government had it, they’d be giving it to us.”
He said the association doesn’t currently have a policy when it comes to the practice of charging for PPE, and there’s nothing in its fee guide to specifically address it, but there are plans to have one as early as next week.
“We will issue a code (in the fee guide) sometime in the new week,” said Patey. “We won’t put a number in there. It’ll be independent consideration, which means that dentists … will use professional discretion.”
Patey said the association is also working with insurance companies with the objective of having such additional fees for PPE covered by insurance.
“We’ll see what happens in the long term,” he said.
“But people can be assured that the patients are getting the same high-quality, infection-controlled service that they got before (the pandemic).
Twitter: @TelyRosie
