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COVID-19 Issues & People

Adapting Oral and Maxillofacial Services During the Pandemic

The hospital dental department has played an essential role in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. And though the overall incidence of trauma has gone down - as has the need for iatrogenic dental procedures - the dental department continues to provide much needed care for patients with serious illness and injury.

So, how have dental surgeons adapted their services in these unprecedented times?

Dr. Marco Caminiti, Head and Program Director of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Toronto, and Chief of Maxillofacial Surgery at the Humber River Hospital, talks to Dr. John O’Keefe, Director of Knowledge Networks CDA, about some of the initiatives he has introduced to his practice. Dr. Caminiti explains that, though being part of the overall hospital environment has its benefits, considerable hurdles remain.

The challenge is triage,” he says. “How do we get the patient to present at the hospital? People don’t want to come to the hospital emergency departments. One month in, and we are seeing patients who have been waiting longer than they should have.

One of the solutions Dr. Caminiti endorses is the Ontario Telehealth Network (OTN), a teleconferencing platform set up by the Ministry of Health. Specific to hospital locations, a registered practitioner can use the OTN to connect with patients remotely for a consult. Strategic and to the point, Dr. Caminiti says these consults are especially good for discerning which patients need to physically come to clinic.

In this informative interview, Dr. Caminiti also covers other key topics, such as the screening of patients for COVID-19, the use of N95 masks, common types of treatment he is providing, and the limiting of opioid prescription for pain.

We hope you find the conversation useful. We welcome your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions about this post and other topics. Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email.

Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team

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