Dentists and Dental Teams as First Emergency Responders in Global and Local Emergencies
Martha J. Mutis, DDS, MPH, cMBA, EdD, FICD 1 Zohaib Ahmed, DDS, MPH, FICD2 | Syed Misbahuddin, DDS, MDPH, MSc3 Daniel Lopez, RDH 4 | Steffany Chamut, DDS, MPH, FICD5 | Luis Yepes,DDS, FICD6 | Abuzar Siddiqui, DDS, MPH, FICD7 | Elias Moron, DDS, MPH, MHL, FICD8
1 National Chair of Research Initiative
Hispanic Dental Association, New York City, New York, USA
2 Research member Hispanic Dental Association New York Chapter (NYHDA), New York City, New York, USA
3 Research member Hispanic Dental Association New York Chapter (NYHDA), New York City, New York, USA
4 Program Lead, Community DentCare Dept/mobile dental clinic, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA
5 Clinical Associate Professor Community Dentistry and Population Health University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine Aurora, Colorado, USA
6 Associate Professor, Director Predoctoral Endodontics Division of Emergency Services. Section of Endodontics Department of Biomedical & Community Health Sciences
Medical University of South Carolina James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine Charleston, South
7 Research member
Hispanic Dental Association New York Chapter (NYHDA) New York City, New York, USA
8 Clinical Assistance Professor Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
Introduction
Abstract
Objective: This narrative review promotes basic standards for integrating oral health and disaster preparedness.
Methods: The authors conducted a narrative review of the literature on interprofessional practice, focusing on contemporary references that explore how oral healthcare providers can enhance global emergency responses. The review also examines current policies and legal issues related to this topic in various countries, including the United States.
Results: At the beginning of the 21st century, federal authorities initially included dentists as first emergency responders. It is essential to value the potential role of the dental profession in increasing public health achievements and helping overcome the impending emergency crisis that our world is facing due to human-made disasters and natural disasters. The profession provides a strong example of the role of dental personnel across all branches of the active duty and reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, where they play a critical role in treating casualties as part of the first responder teams. Some initiatives at the local and state level have been developed to integrate dental professionals into the emergency medical response system. Other activities as first responders by dentists and dental teams have been focused on supporting forensic tasks in Disaster Victim Identification, facilitating training policy development, epidemiological surveillance, and emergency evaluation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House confirmed that the Federal administration expanded the pool of qualified professionals to administer vaccines, including dentists, dental students, and other healthcare providers. At least 44 U.S. jurisdictions allowed dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, and 20 state jurisdictions ruled to allow dental hygienists for the samefunction.
Conclusion: Health policy updates are needed to integrate dental professionals in Disaster Emergency Interdisciplinary teams and as a vital component of the public health response system in the United States.
Keywords:
Dentist emergency responders; Disaster response; Emergency medicine; Interprofessional collaboration; Mass vaccination; Dental Public Health Competencies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, dental practitioners have faced challenges in providing dental care for their patients and keeping practices open. Additionally, the level of resilience, advocacy, and adaptability by the countries and dental professional groups has not been the same in evaluating the scope of clinical practice during this global public health emergency. This context has confronted the international dental community about the role of dentistry in global crises. It was interesting that several countries and regions allowed dentists and dental hygienists to maintain open or under specific schedules their dental services, and precisely all those localornationaljurisdictions werethose thatallowed, in a more open way, to include dentists andhygienists in their vaccination teams and all those where the almost identical governments that administer the COVID-19 vaccine and allow this option to help regulate and overcome barriers of access to dental services that were experienced during the first year of thepandemic.
Nevertheless, the collected expenences showed that the potential role of the dental profession in a public health crisisisuncertain. Thedental teamsarehelping to overcome the emergency COVID-19 crisis faced at the global level, and this role should be expanded to strengthen the overall health and oral health of our populations.
Results Canada
Canada has several provmces and territories' regulations on including dentists as providers in clinical procedures beyond the dental practice. In the province of Alberta, because giving vaccines is part of the scope of the dental practice, it was not necessary to make a special regulation to administrate COVH:li_19 vaccines as part of the clinical dental practice. The response by Albertan medical staff (including dentists) to the call made by the new Dental Alberta Association (DAA) and the Alberta Health Services (AHS) to vaccinate vulnerable populations was astonishingandreceivedpublicgovernmentthanks. 2
Odontologos
Locales
Martha J. Mutis, DDS, MPH, cMBA, EdD, FICD1| Zohaib Ahmed, DDS, MPH, FICD2 | Syed Misbahuddin, DDS, MDPH, MSc3 | Daniel Lopez, RDH4 | Steffany Chamut, DDS, MPH, FICD5 | Luis Yepes, DDS, FICD6 | Abuzar Siddiqui, DDS, MPH, FICD7 | Elias Moron, DDS, MPH, MHL, FICD8
1 DirectoradeInvestigaci6n Asociaci6nDental Hispana, CiudaddeNueva York, NuevaYork,EE.UU.
2 Investigadorasociado
CapitulodeNuevaYorkdela Asociaci6n Dental Hispana (NYHDA), CiudaddeNuevaYork, NuevaYork,EE.UU.
3 Investigadorasociado
CapitulodeNuevaYorkdela Asociaci6n Dental Hispana (NYHDA), CiudaddeNuevaYork, NuevaYork,EE.UU.
4 Lider delprograrna Departarnentodeatenci6ndentalcornunitaria/ clinica dentalrn6vil,UniversidaddeColumbia CiudaddeNuevaYork, NuevaYork,EE.UU.
5 Profesoraasociadaclinica Odontologiacornunitaria ysaluddela poblaci6n FacultaddeMedicina DentaldelaUniversidadde Colorado, Aurora, Colorado,EE.UU.
6Profesorasociado, director deEndodoncia predoctoral Divisi6ndeServiciosdeErnergencia.Secci6nde Endodoncia DepartamentodeCienciasBiornedicasyde laSalud Cornunitaria, UniversidadMedica deCarolina del SurFacuhaddeOdontologiaJamesB. Edwards Charleston, Carolina delSur,EE.UU. Autor delacorrespondencia:
7 Research member Hispanic DentalAssociationNewYorkChapter (NYHDA), NewYorkCity, NewYork,USA
8 Profesor AsistenteClinico FacultaddeMedicina DentaldelaUniversidad NovaSoutheastern, FortLauderdale, Florida,EE. uu.
Introduccion
Resumen
Objetivos: Esta revision tematica promueve la creciente necesidad de contar con estandares basicos paraintegrarlasaludbucalylapreparacionparadesastres. Metodos: Los autores realizaron una revision narrativa sobre el tema relacionado con la practica interprofesional, incluyendoreferenciascontemporaneassobrecomolos proveedoresdeatencionde salud oral pueden mejorar las respuestas de emergencia globales, abordando las politicas y cuestioneslegalesactualessobreestetemaenlosEstadosUnidos.
Resultados: A principios del siglo XXI, las autoridades federales incluyeron inicialmente a los odontologos comoprimerosintervinientesensituacionesdeemergencia.Esesencialvalorarelpapel potencial de la profesion odontologica para aumentar los logros de salud publica y ayudar a superar la inminente crisis deemergencia que enfrenta nuestro mundo por los desastres provocados por el hombre y los desastres naturales. La profesion tiene un gran ejemplo del papel del personal odontologico en todas las ramas de las fuerzas armadas en servicio activo y de reserva de los Estados Unidos (EE. UU.) en el tratamiento de las victimas como parte de los primer a linea de respuesta. Se han desarrollado algunas iniciativas a nivel local y estatal para integrar a los profesionales odontologicos en el sistema de respuesta medica de emergencia. Otras actividades como primeros intervinientes por parte de los odontologos y equipos dentales se han centrado en apoyar las tareas forenses en la identificacion de victimas de desastres, facilitar el desarrollo de politicas de capacitacion, la vigilancia epidemiologica y la evaluacion de emergencias. En medio de lapandemiadeCovid-19, laCasa Blancaconfirmoquelaadministracionfederalamplioelgrupo de profesionales calificados para administrar vacunas, incluidos odontologos, higienistas, estudiantes de odontologia y otros proveedores de atencion medica. Al menos 44 jurisdicciones de EE. UU. permitieron a los odontologos administrar la vacuna Covid-19 y 20 jurisdicciones estatales dictaminaronquesepermitiriaaloshigienistasdentalesparalamismafuncion. Conclusion: Se necesitan actualizaciones de la politica de salud para integrar a los profesionales en salud oral en los equipos interdisciplinarios de emergencias de desastres y como un componente vitalde!sistemaderespuestadesaludpublicaenlosEstadosUnidos.
Palabrasclave: Odontologos de emergencias; Respuesta a desastres; Medicina de emergencia; Colaboracion interprofesional; Vacunacionmasiva; Competenciasdesaludpublicadental.
Durante la pandemia de Covid-19, los profesionales odontol6gicos han tenido que enfrentar desafios para brindar atenci6n odontol6gica a sus pacientes y mantener abiertos los consultorios. Ademas, el nivel deresiliencia, defensayadaptabilidadporpartedelos paises ylos grupos profesionales odontol6gicos no ha sido el mismo al evaluar el alcance de la practica clinica durante esta emergencia de salud publica global. Este contexto haconfrontado a la comunidad odontol6gica internacional sobre el papel de la odontologiaen lascrisisglobales. Fue interesante que varios paises y regiones permitieran a los dentistas e higienistasdentalesmantener abiertosobajo horarios especificos sus serv1c10s odontol6gicos, y precisamente todas aquellas jurisdicciones locales o nacionales fueronlasque permitieron, de maneramas abierta, incluir a los dentistas e higienistas en sus equipos de vacunaci6n y todas aquellas donde los mismosgobiernosadministranlavacunadeCovid19
y permiten esta opcion para ayudar a regular y superar barreras de acceso a los servicios odontologicos que se brindaron durante el primer aiiodelapandemia.
Sin embargo, las experiencias recogidas muestran que el papel potencial de la profesion odontologica en una crisis de salud publica es incierto. Los equipos odontologicos ayudaron a superar la crisis de emergencia de Covid-19 que se enfrentaron a nivel mundial, y este papel debe ampliarse para fortalecer lasalud general ylasalud oralde nuestras poblaciones.
Resultados
Canada
Canada cuenta con varias provincias y territorios quetienen regulaciones relacionadas conlainclusion de los odontologos como proveedores en procedimientos clinicos mas alla de la practica odontologica. EnlaprovinciadeAlberta,debidoa
