Page 19 - Work Force July-August 2020

ADA and CDC recommendations protect patients, dental providers
Home dental care is essential, especially since dental offices were required to limit or postpone preventive services to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Home care should always include brushing thoroughly at least twice a day, flossing once a day and a fluoride rinse once a day.
As New York re-opens from the pandemic, dental practices will begin to see patients for non- emergency dental appointments.
To better protect patients and dental teams, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made several recommendations that expand the existing infection control measures already in place.
Before your scheduled appointment,
a member of
the dental
office staff may
call you to
ask questions
about your
current health
status.
Your dental
office may recommend you come to the appointment alone or with as few people accompanying you as possible.
You may be asked to wear a face covering when entering the dental practice.
The dental office may complete a brief health assessment
upon your arrival to make sure nothing has changed. This health assessment may also include a temperature check.
Your dental office might look a little different. You will notice toys and reading materials might be removed from waiting rooms to limit potential transmission though high-touch surfaces.
Some offices will be encouraging certain social distancing practices
such as limiting the number of patients in a waiting room, spacing out chairs or asking patients to wait in their vehicle until the staff is ready for your treatment.
In addition to these measures, you will likely see hand sanitizer stations throughout the office. Surfaces and items like clipboards, pens and furniture will be cleaned regularly.
Dentists and hygienists might look a little different as well. Dental staff have been advised
by both the ADA and the CDC
to wear additional personal protective equipment, which might include N95 surgical masks, full face shields or goggles with side shields. You may also see special disposable covers on computer keyboards and monitors.
Dental health is essential to your overall
health and wellness.
In addition
to keeping your teeth and gums in shape, regular appointments help diagnose
and treat dental diseases as early as possible. We hope you will schedule a regular check-up and cleaning as soon as you are comfortable doing so.
The EBF provides dental, vision and reimbursement benefits for CSEA members at the state and local government level. New York State employees, Unified Court System employees and several hundred local government units (counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts) have negotiated valuable EBF benefits into their contracts.
Check with your employer,
refer to your contract or visit cseaebf.com and use our Benefit Search Tool to find out exactly what benefits you may be eligible for.
Retiring soon?
Join the Retirees!
As a retiree, you can still help our union stay strong and help us protect your hard-earned pension and retirement benefits! Join a CSEA Retiree Local and enjoy many member-only benefits, including:
• Money-saving member benefits
• Representation to protect your pension and
retirement benefits
• Access to insurance plans at CSEA’s low group rates
• Discounted dental and vision care programs
• Personal legal services referral network
• CSEA Retiree News
Spouses, domestic partners and retired CSEA staff are eligible to join a CSEA Retiree Local, too!
To learn more and join, visit
https://cseany.org/retirees or call 800-342-4146
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In Albany email alerts
The quickest and easiest way to stay up-to-date on what is happening in Albany and Washington is “This Week in Albany.”
Sign up for “This Week in Albany” email alerts at https://cseany.org/legislative-political-action
July-August 2020 The Work Force 19