Dental practices that have been harmed or disadvantaged by the COVID-19 pandemic will find support through CDA-sponsored or supported bills signed into law in recent weeks by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Altogether, the governor signed 14 bills that help dentists practice better and expand access to oral health care.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 8 signed into law CDA-sponsored legislation that allows California-licensed dentists to apply for the requisite laboratory licensure to administer rapid COVID-19 tests in the dental office. The new law also gives dentists permanent authority to administer FDA-approved or FDA-authorized COVID-19 and flu vaccines.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 8 signed CDA-sponsored legislation that gives California dentists permanent authority to provide influenza and COVID-19 vaccines and obtain the required state registration to process rapid COVID-19 tests in the dental office.
A recent survey of practicing dentists in California shows that 94% of surveyed dentists are vaccinated against COVID-19, due in part to trustworthy COVID-19 vaccine resources published by CDA. The survey indicates that confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines is much higher among practicing dentists than it is among adults nationwide.
The California Legislature approved a state budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year that upholds the will of the voters when they passed the Proposition 56 tobacco tax in 2016. The budget makes significant investments in Medi-Cal Dental improvements, workforce development and coronavirus relief.
The October 2020 issue of the CDA Journal, which explores COVID-19 connections in oral health care and dentistry, has been awarded a Maggie Award in the category of Best Digital Edition or ePublication/Consumer, Trade, Association.
CDA advocacy placed California ahead of the curve for enabling dentists to vaccinate individuals against COVID-19 when the Department of Consumer Affairs granted a public health emergency waiver on Jan. 4. Other states soon followed, passing legislation or issuing waivers and governors’ executive orders that allow dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19’s impact on dentistry remains a top advocacy priority for CDA, and a new bill that CDA is co-sponsoring with the California Medical Association would help to safeguard health care providers’ financial stability during future state emergencies like the current pandemic.
Organized dentistry is making it easier for dentists across California to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Local dental societies have been working with local health departments to get dentists and their staff members vaccinated, and dentists are volunteering their time and skills at vaccination clinics in their communities.
The California Department of Public Health on Jan. 21 revised its COVID-19 vaccine training requirements, reducing the number of required courses dentists need to be eligible to administer the vaccine.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last December issued guidance indicating that employers may encourage or possibly require COVID-19 vaccinations, but policies must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Researchers are examining the link between periodontal disease and COVID-19-related respiratory complications, and early research findings suggest that dental professionals may need to shift their focus to preventing underlying conditions, such as periodontitis, that promote systemic inflammation.
