The 445th meeting of the RCDSO Council was held via Zoom on October 24, 2024. The assembly was also livestreamed. A video recording of the session is available on the College’s YouTube channel.

This issue finds us reflecting back on a busy summer season for the College and looking forward to an active fall. 

Throughout the summer months, the RCDSO has been focused on improving resources for the profession. One of the objectives of our strategic plan is anticipating and responding proactively to emerging issues and trends that may impact the public interest. The work outlined below helps to achieve that.

The 437th Council meeting of the RCDSO was a virtual meeting held via Zoom on Thursday, June 15^th, 2023. The meeting was also livestreamed; a video recording of the Council session will be available on the College’s YouTube channel.

Work is currently underway to revisit RCDSO’s guidance to the profession. This process is supported by clinical staff and involves collaboration with other oral health colleges.

We have revised our COVID-19 guidance for in-person care. These changes reflect efforts to ensure precautions are evidence-based and do not impede access to care. 

The Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) has revoked Directive #2. This change means that dentists may resume non-urgent and non-emergent surgeries and procedures effective immediately.

The Ministry of Health’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has clarified the recently revised Directive #2.  The Directive says that “non-urgent and non-emergent surgeries and procedures will cautiously and gradually resume...” in specific settings. The College has now been told that “this would include regulated health professionals in settings outside of public hospitals, such as dentists.” 

The 427^th Meeting of the Council of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario was held on Friday, September 17, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom and streamed live on YouTube. 

The Government of Ontario is providing 3M Aura Health Care Particulate Respirator and Surgical Masks, 1870+, N95 and Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests to dental professionals free of charge.

Access to these products is made possible through a partnership between the Ontario Government and Ontario Dental Association (ODA).

The RCDSO has updated its guidance for managing infection risks during in-person dental care.

This update reflects collaboration between Ontario’s four oral health Colleges to ensure consistent expectations for delivery of oral health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ontario moved into Step 3 of the Provincial Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 am today, July 16, 2021.

The College’s COVID-19: Managing Infection Risks During In-Person Dental Care guidance document has been updated. In response to the provincial shutdown, dentists are required to undertake enhanced precautions when providing in-person care.

The Government of Ontario announced a Province-wide shutdown which will go into effect Saturday, December 26, 2020, at 12:01 a.m.

The RCDSO has confirmed that health care providers, including dental offices, can remain open in public health regions declared to be in “lockdown”. All current RCDSO guidance remains in effect.

The RCDSO continues to strongly recommend that all dental offices in red or orange public health areas - currently, Toronto, Ottawa, York and Peel Regions (previously referred to as ‘hot zones’) - use enhanced precautions for aerosol-generating procedures.

PIDAC is now recommending that, in regions of Ontario where COVID-19 transmission levels are ‘not low’, dentists should use precautions when performing AGPs as if their patients were positive - even if they screen negative.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a memo regarding precautions for health workers in dental settings where aerosol-generating dental procedures (AGDPs) are conducted.

The College's Guidance on managing infection risks during in-person dental care follows Directive #2 from the CMOH. Our May 31 guidance remains in effect and is available on our website by clicking here. 

The College released guidance on emergency screening of dental patients using teledentistry on March 26, 2020.

This updated version permits dentists to use teledentistry for some non-essential services as appropriate, while maintaining physical distancing. 

In accordance with our mandate to act in the public’s interest and in hearing the numerous comments made to us by members, in consultation with hospitals and public health and others, we are offering to the membership the following measures and guidelines in response to the COVID–19 pandemic.