Recently we’ve been asked about buying groups and how to make your Zen Account work if you recently joined a buying group (Example: Synergy, DSN, DentalWhale, etc)? Let’s review the process together. Step 1: First of all, obtain a list of distributors that the buying group has negotiated prices with. Review distributors on the list and see who you already have accounts with and who you don’t. If you don’t, just create a new account with the vendor and connect it to Zen in Settings - Distributors - Plus Button. If you already have an account with the vendor you need to contact them and make sure they acknowledge that you are part of group “X” and it is reflected on your account (either online or when you email to the rep). Most distributors, for example, Darby Dental, when you join a buying group will usually make you switch to another rep. So just be aware and make sure your account is set up and in good standing according to the requirements of the buying group. Step 2: Once the pricing is changed with your distributor to the buying group pricing, bring it to Zen. If you have online login and in Zen, this distributor was connected as “Submit Online”, then you only need to make a change in step 2 - Pricing and change it to “Buying Group” (screenshot attached) then just let us know in chat to update your prices. If you have this distributor connect with “I use Rep” then we will need you to provide what that pricing would look like in a form of a spreadsheet or anything you can get from the distributor or the buying group. Step 3: If you can’t get pricing form the distributor or the buying group, this might be a red sign. Wouldn’t you want to be able to see the price before ordering? Well, we’ve seen many strange things so far, so if that’s the case, you can add just how it is and update prices from invoices at the verification. We hope this is helpful and if you need to schedule a consultation to review your account, please use this link to select the time that works best for you: ZenSupplies.com/Sales With Zen! ZenTeam
Dear ZenFamily, We had another phenomenal week full of exciting and informative live events! We invited 7 fabulous speakers to the live webinars who all shared lots of useful information for our members. Here is a recap of what happened: Monday, April 13: Tiger was joined by a dear friend, Vivek Kinra, co-owner/CEO of PPO Profits; co-owner/CEO of Verrific, and Zen Member (VIP Dental Lounge). On this live event, we discussed how to keep working on insurance and prepare yourself for seeing patients. We covered how to collect insurance claims during downtime, insurance work from home options during quarantine, how to collect 30K in insurance claims from home and how insurance pre-denials put the patient on hold. https://youtu.be/_HclUwqMZR0 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IKoOCwVaX6RwEA8sgNCnp Wednesday, April 15: Iryna, our ZenTeam member, was joined by dental assistants from Zen Offices and they shared how their inventory and ordering processes happen! We invited Andrea from Sullivan Dental Partners in Nashville, TN, Brittany from Castle Peak Dental in CO, as well as Shelby, RDH from Southwest Nebraska Dental Center in McCook, NE and the ladies shared with us how they stay organized when it comes to managing their office's inventory. https://youtu.be/qu1M85y9ZNE https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QfzUrApVqmQNxaiMOcEI1 Friday, April 17: Since many of us have been wondering what the coronavirus situation is like for other countries, especially for dental practices, we invited Emilie from France and Dr. Nic Anderson from New Zealand to share what's been happening in their home countries. Emilie and Dr. Anderson were joined by Tiger and they discussed the following: what the coronavirus situation is like in each country, whether dental practices are open in their country or not, everyone’s outlook on COVID-19, and how to look at the bright side of the coronavirus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPuoQPgR5tA https://open.spotify.com/episode/46jsQYlvt1UXsy9ux861iw During each webinar, we covered numerous topics on surviving through COVID-19 and staying strong during the times of the unknown! There were quite a few interesting resources, books and recommendations made during each webinar so I’d like to share them with everyone here: 4/13 Live: Vivek Kinra on Collecting 30K in Insurance from Home: -CAQH: https://www.caqh.org/solutions/enrollhub 4/15 Live: Zen Offices Share their Inventory and Ordering Process: -3D Printing: Michael Scherer has an online course and 3d dentists is also starting a course this fall: www.michaelschererdmd.com/courses/ -Tip out Bins: https://simplastics.com/ And here are the details for the upcoming live events for the week of April 20th: 4/20 Live 2 pm CST: The HR Conversation with Tim Twigg (CE) https://app.livewebinar.com/626-143-007 4/22 Live 2 pm CST: Guidelines on How We Are Going to Protect Our Patients, Our Staff, and Ourselves. Understanding the Purchasing Constraints of PPE (CE) https://app.livewebinar.com/669-227-847 4/24 Live 2 pm CST: Dental Assistants Share Their Side Hustles https://app.livewebinar.com/982-547-546 We hope everyone is enjoying the live events!
Dear ZenFamily, Thank you to each and every one of you for participating in our live events and webinars this past week! We’ve gotten so many great questions in regards to our webinar on Monday 4/20 with Tim Twigg and on Wednesday 4/22 with Mary Govoni. Both of these webinars are eligible for 1 CE credit hour each! To find more information on how to obtain your CE certificate, please check the notes section under these two webinars in your Zen account. So here is a recap of what we talked about: Monday, April 20: Although Mr. Tim Twigg has joined us for a live webinar at the end of March, we invited him again to give us updates and share some news on what’s been happening with the HR aspect of dentistry. He answered all the great questions that were asked during the webinar such as how the changes have impacted dental practices, staffing levels information, PPP Loan Opportunities, the hiring process for dentists and much more. Here is where you can find the full webinar: https://youtu.be/favEZeyhIsY https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Qs2RAST0FeHaVOq2QQRoa Wednesday, April 22: By many of your requests we invited Mary Govoni to the live webinar to discuss one thing that ALL offices are worried about - how we are going to protect our patients, our staff and ourselves. In addition, Tiger went over how to plan to purchase the most essential items before reopening the practice. We want to make sure we all come back STRONG and prepared when the big day comes! Please find the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quur8sGY7sY&t=1404s https://open.spotify.com/episode/6g0KmLgVqyRqXpZKIeThMQ During each webinar, we covered numerous topics on surviving through COVID-19 and staying strong during the times of the unknown! There were quite a few interesting resources, links, checklists and recommendations made during each webinar so I’d like to share them with everyone here: 4/20 Live: The HR Conversation with Tim Twigg: -Here is the link to the "Alternative Work Schedule" for the dentist in California: bentericksen.com/alternate-workweek-schedule/ -Here is the Coronavirus specific information link on Tim's company website: bentericksen.com/coronavirus-faqs/ -Aspirations from Tim’s Wall: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YuspbC4EFcpXj9Zih4Xm1LFM2GQ823x3 4/22 Live: Guidelines on how we are going to protect our patients, our staff and ourselves. Understanding the purchasing constraints of PPE -ADA COVID-19 Resources: success.ada.org/en/practice-management/patients/infectious-diseases-2019-novel-coronavirus?utm_source=adaorg&utm_medium=globalheader&utm_content=coronavirus&utm_campaign=covid-19&_ga=2.215779103.94097617.1587701693-788863450.1587586893 -COVID-19 Questionnaire: drive.google.com/open?id=1Fyk-lJXvHCgrsBmnsaub4O0PAlwSDh1X -OSHA Compliance Checklist: drive.google.com/open?id=0B30ztLGC7S9hOGp0QTR4VHF1VVdfNHcyMmU4RzViLUFHdTM0 -Oral Biofilter (OBF) is a new product and it is awaiting FDA approval: www.astradentium.com/ -Information on the ADS Dental Systems: www.youtube.com/embed/6HN1SOYQnts -Prior to reopening the office, please treat the water lines. Here is an excellent resource: proedgedental.com/ And here are the details for the upcoming events for the week of April 27th: 4/27 Live 2 pm CST: Dr. Brett Gilbert on Positive Mindset and Why Change is Crucial for Self Development (1 HR CE) https://app.livewebinar.com/561-547-984 4/29 Live 11:30 am CST: Don't be Moody on Wednesday with Dr. Justin Moody https://app.livewebinar.com/121-694-682 5/1 Live 2 pm CST: Dental Assistants Share Their Side Hustles https://app.livewebinar.com/982-547-546 We hope everyone is enjoying the live events! Stronger together!
Dear ZenFamily, Thank you to all for participating in our live events and webinars this week! We had two live webinars with four awesome guests! Dr. Brett Gilbert joined Tiger on Monday 4/27 and they discussed why change is crucial for self development as well as the importance of a positive mindset. This webinar was eligible for 1 CE credit hour. To find more information on how to obtain your CE certificate, please check the notes section under these two webinars in your Zen account. On Friday 5/1 we had a dental assistants webinar, where Iryna, our ZenTeam member was joined by Julie, Ronda and John to discuss the potential side hustles for dental assistants! Here is a recap of what we talked about: Monday, April 27: We invited Dr. Brett Gilbert, an endodontist in Chicago, who has built a following on a simple message of accepting life challenges with a positive mindset. Dr. Brett and Tiger met at the Yoga workshop last December, hosted by The Dental Yogis, and since then we became good friends. During the webinar, we discussed what it means to have a positive mindset and stay optimistic during the time of uncertainty, why Dr. Brett started practicing yoga and steps you need to convert your passion into a creative and productive goal. Here is where you can find the full webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFHd7pRf0_M https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KgPZaQwmw0FKZw7KaVk44 Friday, May 1: After such a wonderful webinar with Julie Varney and Ronda Holman on 4/6, we invited them again to share some thoughts and ideas with us on side hustles for dental assistants! Julie and Ronda will joined Iryna, our ZenTeam member, and they went over lots of cool ideas on the matter! In addition, John from Dental Assistants Worldwide joined them to share what his side hustle is all about! We discussed various side hustles that assistants can discover for themselves and how to stay busy with your side hustle during quarantine. We also touched on ideas for expanding the dental assistants skill set and how to prepare for reopening your office! Please find the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLW_NZ66IoA https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QkkCMRlqEP75jJatbbxqF During each webinar, we covered numerous topics on surviving through COVID-19 and staying strong during the times of the unknown! There were quite a few awesome book recommendations that Dr. Gilbert mentioned so please find them here: 1. The Power of Now - Eckhardt Tolle 2. The Law of Attraction - Michael Losier 3. The Power of Intention - Wayne Dyer 4. The Five Second Rule - Mel Robbins 5. The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown 6. Mans Search For Meaning - Viktor Frankel Here are the details on the two webinars coming up for the week of 5/4: Monday, 5/4 at 2 pm CST: Don't be Moody on Monday with Dr. Justin Moody https://app.livewebinar.com/121-694-682 Wednesday, 5/6 at 3 pm CST: Water Line Treatment Prior to Reopening with Mary Govoni, Mike Rust and Kelly (1 CE Hour) https://livewebinar.com/432-284-224 We hope everyone is enjoying the live events! Stronger together!
Dear ZenFamily, Happy Monday to all! I hope everyone had a great weekend and ready to start this week with full energy and potential! Last week here at Zen we had two live webinars with four phenomenal guests! On Monday, 5/4, Tiger was joined by Dr. Justin Moody, the owner of West Horizon Dental Group and the founder of the Implant Pathway. To find out more about Dr. Justin Moody please see here: https://www.implantpathway.com/justinmoodydds/. Tiger and Dr. Moody discussed what the first day back to the office was like for Dr. Moody, how his team was doing during the time of quarantine and now back to work, what it means to be a CEO and a dentist, and much more! And on Wednesday, 5/6, we invited Mary Govoni along with Mike Rust and Kellie Thimmes from ProEdge Dental Water Labs in CO. This webinar was eligible for 1 CE credit hour. To find more information on how to obtain your CE certificate, please check the notes section under the 5/6 webinar in your Zen account. So to summarize, here is a short recap of what was discussed as well as links where you can find the full webinars and listen to the podcasts: Monday, May 4: We brought back Dr. Justin Moody to talk about an emotional roller coaster we are all going through and how to best prepare for getting ready to reopen. We discussed what steps Dr. Moody and his team took to get through this across all of his businesses. Tiger and Dr. Moody covered leadership, how to manage change, and communication skills with the team. Here is where you can find the full webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bQxeK1Zzko&feature=youtu.be https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wh3OqRq53TU2CqxTKrXd5 Wednesday, May 6: Will your dental unit water be safe when you reopen? By many of your requests we invited Mary Govoni, Mike Rust (ProEdge Dental Lab) and Kelley (ProEdge Dental Lab)to the live webinar and we discussed if your waterlines are ready for the big reopening. Since your dental units have been sitting idle, water can become contaminated, and before opening the practice back you need to make sure to follow protocols. We discussed what it means to test the water lines and how soon this should be done, the GOLD dental water formula of SHOCK->TEST->TREAT, we also covered the difference between in office tests and the lab tests and answered commonly asked questions when it comes to water line safety within your practice. If you've always wondered what the difference is between purging and shocking water line, please watch the full webinar here: https://youtu.be/5twyx4pMiJU https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LgCsfJCvJ7fEkr9yCbLoL During each webinar, we covered and referenced lots of resources in regards to COVID-19 and water line treatment prior to reopening. Please find this information here: ProEdge Dental Water Labs: https://proedgedental.com/ Information from OSAP.ORG on Dental Unit Water Lines https://www.osap.org/page/Issues_DUWL_7XXXX/Dental-Unit-Waterlines.htm The GOLD and simple water line formula for every dental office is: SHOCK->TEST->TREAT Waterline Testing Log: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13pDuCMjrcxbDClBm2l1jluQn4YnjLhhE Here are the details on the webinar coming up for the week of 5/11: By many requests, we have invited Mary Govoni to a compliance series webinar on "How to Control Aerosol" for the week of May 11! The time and date is TBD at the moment but coming soon. Stay tuned on your ZenAccount, Instagram and Facebook! We hope everyone is enjoying the live events! Stronger together!
Today, it’s the beginning of our sixth weeks of quarantine: time to make a point. On the last Tuesday, our President, M. Macron announced the extension of the shelter in place order for 30 days. The end of the quarantine will be May 11th. If statistics look good, schools and businesses will open on this date, but step by step. For the health industry, each profession will organize itself in order to limit the spread of infection. In France, each dentist belongs to an organization called “Ordre des dentistes” It’s a national Order that has local chapters. This organizations allows the opening of the dental offices (for emergencies and other treatments) but we don’t currently have enough PPE to work in good hygienic conditions. Today, dentists work 1 or 2 days a week, just for seeing emergencies and their local Chapter supplies PPE accordingly .On the Tuesday, Dentist have received PPE used by veterinary. The goal is to work until the May 11th. We don’t know when the peak of the epidemic will come, but we can already plan for a long period with covid (we think until at least August). So, at this time, nobody has received official instructions from the government. People are creating their own re-opening strategies : how do you organize our dental : masks, PPE ? What type of mask protect ourselves for the virus? where can we buy the PPE ?. Some masks are selling on Alibaba, Shein.. and who are going to pay for these new materials. For information, a PPE=9 $. Today, I have received an email from unions with huge informations : 40 000 French dentists use 4 millions masks (FFP2) and 80 millions growns ( 1 month). At this moment, our supplies are unable to deliver this quantity of material ; the delivery time is june. Conclusion : Government propose dentists to open increasingly their dental offices in order to share the last stocks. In addition, some laboratories are implementing screening tests (for testing patients and teams). The goal would be to test patients before the treatment. Another test is in progress for immunity immunity. About the near future : we are going to go from red to green (Tiger’s question). So, we live in a country with national coverage for dental and medical expenses. Even if we have a lot of unemployment in the future, people will continue to visit the dentist because their fees are reimbursed by national health care and insurance. The biggest issue in France is not losing money (cost for PPE, less patients in a day for safe conditions) but the amount of patients to serve AFTER the quarantine. The phone number is opened in order to answer to patients and we already know that the re opening is urgent. This crisis, unpublished, allows to create new connections and new procedures. I think this is a good opportunity for us to look at and reflect on our current system. How can we make it better in general? How can dentists better protect themselves in their everyday work? What will the patients be expecting now when they visit the office after Covid? And how can we provide that care they are expecting? So it’s a good time of reflection. #strongertogether. Emilie
Dear ZenFamily, Happy Monday to all! We hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend. As we jump into another busy week, we’d like to share a recap of live events and webinars for the last week (the week of June 1) as well as some exciting live events that we have planned for the week of June 8. So here goes! On Thursday, June 4th, Tiger was joined by Mike Sands, an expert in the field of fogging to discuss: Disinfecting With Cold Fogging? Does it Really Work for Dental? Currently, Mike is a partner and the VP of Marketing and New Product Development at Cloudburst, Inc. (a world leader in misting systems engineering and manufacturing). Dr. Tom Larkin introduced Tiger to Mike Sands. Here is a short description from Dr. Larkin himself: "Mike Sands is authoritative. In fact, he holds several patents and his company Cloudburst developed the first sideline misters introduced in the NFL in 1994. They were the first misting/cooling system used in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Mike is a serial inventor and holds several patents in this space. I have no idea how I stumbled onto their website, but I am glad I did. I think cold fogging is an integral part of our come back protocol. Search the internet and you will see electrostatic sprayers and numerous fogging sprayers. Many, direct from China. I have been quoted as much as 30K for a system. Mike will break it down and introduce you to a fogger for less than 50 BUCKS! One per Op. Personal fogging protection." Here is Mike's Bio: Currently, Mike is a partner and the VP of Marketing and New Product Development at Cloudburst, Inc. (a world leader in misting systems engineering and manufacturing). Prior to partnering with Cloudburst, Mike was involved in several business startups and ownerships including iMist LLC. (a company specializing in the development and sales of personal - portable misting and spraying products). He is a serial inventor with multiple patents and first to market products in his portfolio. He loves problem solving and creating new things which have guided him along his successful entrepreneurial path. Two of his favorite (2) word phrases are “WHAT IF” and “ WHY NOT”. Here is where you can find the full webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSHnJ-x91a0 Please find the podcast here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/fb31e3dc During the webinar, we covered and referenced lots of resources in regards to COVID-19 and what it means to disinfect with cold fogging. Please find them below: Information on cold fogging and the Cloudburst product: https://www.phoenixdentalproject.com/fogging Check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CloudburstMS Electrolyzed Water System, Generate Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) Cleaner & Disinfectant: https://store.ecoloxtech.com/ecoone And on Friday, 6/5 at 11 am CST, we started a new tradition with a "15 min Friday Supply Availability Update" for Zen Offices that is hosted by Tiger! Please join us Every Friday at 11am Central for a live update on what is going on on the market and availability of dental supplies. All you have to do is login to your Zen account, app.ZenSupplies.com For the Week of June 8th, we have planned the following events: Tuesday, 6/9, we have uploaded the new Guidelines Information from the CDC: “Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response” where everyone will have access to CDC resources such as the webinar, slides, information for healthcare professionals and frequently asked questions for healthcare providers. This information will be available to you through the live events & webinars tab on the dashboard. Please see here for more information: https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2020/callinfo_060320.asp Reference: Hannan, Casey, et al. “Webinar June 3, 2020 - Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Apr. 2020, emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2020/callinfo_060320.asp. Thursday,6/11 at 11 am CST, Tiger will host a webinar on the “Review of Dental Catalogs and other changes on the Zen platform” as the dental catalogs were not as successful of a roll out as we had hoped. We learned our lesson and made several changes. Tiger will discuss and review these changes . We will make sure to take all the feedback from you so please come prepared with lots of questions, ideas and suggestions! We plan to cover: dental catalogs search and filters, why we changed to manufacturers, the pause on office supplies and for how long as well as upcoming dashboard changes and changes to my inventory. And of course, per our new Friday tradition, on Friday, June 12th at 11 am CST, Tiger will host a 15 minute supply availability update. Everyone is beyond ready to get back to work in a safe environment. The ZenTeam is spending countless hours every week doing due diligence, learning about FDA approvals, learning about product shortages, and sourcing new vendors. In addition, the landscape of the supply chain is constantly changing and so are the prices of PPE products. Therefore, Tiger will host a 15 min live event EVERY Friday at 11 am CST to go over what we learn during the week. We will share EVERYTHING-good, bad and what to prepare for.Simply login to your ZenSupplies account and join us there for all live events! Thank you to all for participating in our live events and we look forward to seeing everyone during this week’s webinars!
Dear ZenFamily, Hope everyone is staying safe and having a productive week so far! Last week here at Zen we had a webinar on Friday 5/15 on "Understanding N95/KN95 Masks and 3 Ply Surgical Masks, Compliance For Dental Practices Including research/diagrams/test/in office test log forms". Mary Govoni joined Tiger to answer questions on what products to start ordering asap, understanding the different masks types, compliance for dental offices, current market counterfeits and much more. Please find the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdSx0fNEEvM https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ro2XbV7touiThhJc3gV05?si=XKhnHRiITMW4SIpzA5N2rg Notes and Links discussed during the webinar: *Disclaimer: all information below is only suggested and not presented as scientific research nor acts as a guideline for dental practices. This is only expression of the research we've done for our members in the attempt to consolidate different ideas in one resource. Below information is assembled by Zen Team only and not related to opinions/recommendations of guest speakers on the webinar. General Info on Mask and Identifying Counterfeit: ADA Tips to Avoid Counterfeit: https://success.ada.org/~/media/CPS/Files/COVID/ADA_TipsToAvoidCounterfeitMasks.pdf?utm_source=adaorg&utm_medium=adanews&utm_content=cv-counterfeitmask&utm_campaign=covid-19 ADA Guide on Understanding different masks: https://success.ada.org/~/media/CPS/Files/COVID/ADA_COVID19_UnderstandingMasks.pdf?utm_source=adaorg&utm_medium=adanews ADA 1 CE Course on Respiratory Protection in the Era of COVID-19 (great resource): https://success.ada.org/en/practice-management/patients/digital-events/ada-and-osap-respiratory-protection-in-the-era-of-covid-19-webinar?utm_source=adaorg&utm_medium=adanews American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Online Course: Respiratory Protection Program Training and Resources (Free Certification) - Recommended to have at least 1 team member to be Certified: http://aaohn.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1138 Level 1/2/3 3 Ply Surgical Masks: Study on effectiveness of N95 vs Surgical Masks: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4868605/ Level 3 Masks are recommended for use in Dental Practices: https://healthcentricadvisors.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/3_MaskEnomics_Poster_2012.pdf Research from Dental Advisors from 2014 (Trying to find something more recent, if you know of a resource, please add in comments). Face Masks, What to wear and when: https://www.dentaladvisor.com/pdf-download/?pdf_url=wp-content/uploads/2015/02/face-masks-what-to-wear-and-when.pdf Choose the right mask from Cardinal Health. Visual diagram of Understanding ASTM level of Protection: https://www.cardinalhealth.com/content/dam/corp/web/documents/whitepaper/Face%20Mask%20Selection%20Guide.pdf N95 Respirators Resources: ADA Tip Sheet on identifying counterfeit N95 masks (as of May 7, 2020): https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2020-archive/may/ada-tip-sheet-includes-cdc-guidance-on-identifying-counterfeit-n95-masks Fit Test Kit and Instructional Video (Product Available on Zen Resource Page): https://www.allegrosafety.com/product/saccharin-fit-test-kit/ How to Perform a User Seal Check with an N95 Respirator (different from Fit Test):https://youtu.be/pGXiUyAoEd8 OSHA Compliance requirement (documented on ZenResource Page as of May 7, 2020): Every Employee Must Complete - Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3789info.pdf Every Employee must complete Fit Test prior to using a Respirator. ReCertification is required 1/year. Safety Fit Test Record: https://www.allegrosafety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Respirator-Fit-Test-Record.pdf List of Respirator Trusted-Source Information (From CDC Website): https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/respsource3healthcare.html#e NIOSH - Approved N95 Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators (Full List of Approved manufacturers): https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/N95list1.html Surgical N95 Respirators Approved Manufacture List (Short): https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/respsource3surgicaln95.html KN95 Masks Resources: NIOSH International Assessment Results - Not NIOSH approved: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/NonNIOSHresults.html List of Approved Manufacturers (FDA Approved as of May 7, 2020): www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/respsource3surgicaln95.html Steps to spot counterfeit products (these steps make assumption that documents provided are true in nature and have not been reprinted with logos of FDA/NIOSH and any other organizations): The manufacturer from who the product is manufactured should have an FDA certificate on file with their name and the approved product The manufacturer must be on the approved Chinese exporter list There should be a testing report on file that they can send to show you they are a legitimate product The distributor could or should have FDA Registration to be able to import these products. Always ask for FDA registration of the vendor who is exporting products. FDA Database of Registration & Device Listing: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRL/rl.cfm Reusable Gowns/Laundry Service and Washer/Dryer Installation: Cost of reusable gowns is between $20-$30/gown. We will work on getting a source for a group order for the reusable gowns. Cost of Pick Up and laundry service. First of all I would highly recommend to talk to your local Laundry Service provider and discuss how to work together. Prices that we found online are ranging from $.95 to $3 per pound, including pick up/drop off/folding. The other option is Washer and dryer Hookup: The cost of installation: https://www.thumbtack.com/p/washer-dryer-hookup-cost Portable washer/dryer: https://www.wayfair.com/GE-Appliances--Spacemaker%C2%AE-3.6-cu.-ft.-Portable-Dryer-DSKP333ECWW-L7322-K~GEAP1077.html?refid=GX350646125182-GEAP1077&device=c&ptid=753249148770&network=g&targetid=pla-753249148770&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=66097775&fdid=1817&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr5rFq-O26QIVR5yzCh0z7ghOEAQYBCABEgJ67fD_BwE Here are the details on the webinar coming up for the week of 5/18: On Friday, 5/22, at 1pm CST, we invited Dr. Gina Dorfman, a dentist and fellow CEO of Yapi Dental and Julie Varney, CDA, RDA, COA, FAADOM, CDSO, CDSH, Mentor of Dental Assistants Rock to share their experiences, tips and advice on reopening your practice. Dr. Dorfman's practice reopened on Monday, 5/18 and she will share with us how her office went through the reopening process and what their quarantine experience was like. Julie is in New York and her office has not reopened yet. They've done a lot to train their staff on new updates, performed a systems check and stocked up on PPEs. Dr. Dorfman will also talk about some protocols! Be ready to ask Julie and Dr. Dorfman lots of questions and feel free to share your reopening experience with fellow Zen offices! https://livewebinar.com/892-097-831 We hope everyone is enjoying the live events! Stronger together!
Happy Monday to all! As everyone starts out another busy week, I’d like to provide a recap of the live events and webinars we’ve had at Zen this past week as well as some exciting live events that we have planned for the week of June 22! On Friday, June 19th, Tiger hosted an Inventory Workshop. As offices begin to reopen, we have all been thinking about our inventory and staying as organized as possible during these busy times. So we took it to the next level and Tiger reviewed what brings you JOY the Marie Kondo style within a dental office! Here is where you can find the full webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn_0AJOfmsA&t=2557s Our very first Article on Installing Tip out Bins: https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/ready-set-get-your-dental-supplies-organized-with-tip-out-bins/ Our First Webinar on Inventory and Ordering: https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/dental-inventory-makeover-webinar/ And on Friday, 6/19 at 11 am CST, we started a new tradition with a "15 min Friday Supply Availability Update" for Zen Offices that is hosted by Tiger! Please join us Every Friday at 11am Central for a live update on what is going on on the market and availability of dental supplies. All you have to do is login to your Zen account, app.ZenSupplies.com For the week of June 22, we have planned the following events: On Thursday, June 25th at 11 am CST, we invited Tim Twigg to discuss with Tiger the Post COVID Hiring Challenges and PPP Forgiveness Update (1 HR CE). For many dental offices across the country it's been really challenging to bring the team back, adjust the schedules to the new guidelines and hire new team members. Also new guidelines for the PPP loan forgiveness were just announced. Therefore, we are extremely grateful to have Tim back on the live webinar to cover these and more HR related questions and challenges. To join the webinar, please follow this link: And of course, per our new Friday tradition, on Friday, June 12th at 11 am CST, Tiger will host a 15 minute supply availability update. Everyone is beyond ready to get back to work in a safe environment. The ZenTeam is spending countless hours every week doing due diligence, learning about FDA approvals, learning about product shortages, and sourcing new vendors. In addition, the landscape of the supply chain is constantly changing and so are the prices of PPE products. Therefore, Tiger will host a 15 min live event EVERY Friday at 11 am CST to go over what we learn during the week. We will share EVERYTHING-good, bad and what to prepare for. Simply login to your ZenSupplies account and join us there for all live events! Thank you to all for participating in our live events and we look forward to seeing everyone during this week’s webinars!
Dear ZenFamily, Happy Monday to all! We hope everyone had a fun holiday weekend. As we jump into another busy week, we’d like to share a recap of live events and webinars for last week (the week of June 29) as well as some exciting live events that we have planned for the week of July 6. So here goes! On Wednesday, July 1st Tiger hosted a live event on the Importance of Supporting US Based Manufacturers with Jen Guarino, CEO of ISAIC. Since Independence Day was last weekend, we decided to host a webinar on the importance of supporting US based manufacturers. There are a lot of discussions on US made products. Some were surprised with "why we don't make masks anymore" and "Why US made PPE is as expensive as from outside of the US". These and many more questions Tiger addressed with Jennifer Guarino, CEO of ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center), a fashion non-profit that changed their direction to making Gowns and Masks during the pandemic. Please check out ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center) here: www.isaic.org Here is the full webinar: https://youtu.be/ykI5AdTaiYY And here is the podcast: https://share.transistor.fm/s/bd2dd1a1 Since the Friday supply availability event fell 7/3 on Independence Day (observed) this week, we will be hosting our next 15 minute supply availability live event on Friday, July 10. For the week of July 6, we have planned the following events: Thursday, July 9 at 11 am CST Tiger will host a live event on How to use the new search? We listened to and noted all of the feedback from the 6/11 webinar and went to work. It is improved, it is smarter and hopefully easier to use. During this live webinar Tiger will share how to use the updated version of the search and reveal what we are working on next, as we call it "Search phase 2". Please join us for this live discussion and we will be inviting attendees to join, so please make sure your mic and camera is working! This event is only for Zen members. The benefit of the LIVE Webinar is that we will be able to answer YOUR questions during this time. So please join us at 11 am CST on Thursday 7/9! All you have to do is login to your Zen account, 2. And of course, per our new Friday tradition, on Friday, July 10th at 11 am CST, Tiger will host a 15 Minute Supply Availability Update with a Special Guest. Everyone is beyond ready to get back to work in a safe environment. The ZenTeam is spending countless hours every week doing due diligence, learning about FDA approvals, learning about product shortages, and sourcing new vendors. In addition, the landscape of the supply chain is constantly changing and so are the prices of PPE products. Therefore, Tiger will host a 15 min live event EVERY Friday at 11 am CST to go over what we learn during the week. We will share EVERYTHING-good, bad and what to prepare for.Simply login to your ZenSupplies account and join us there for all live events! Thank you to all for participating in our live events and we look forward to seeing everyone during this week’s webinars!
Are you struggling to keep up? YOU are not alone. There are more dentists than not having a hard time staffing for the surge of patients, especially hygiene. In this blog let's discuss some tips on how we can get GREAT team members in the door. Let's start with the ad. What does your ad look like? This is NOT as easy as you may think, and can determine what kind of people you are attracting. Starting with the title. Really look at it from the outsiders perspective. When someone reads this, will they want to open the post, or keep scrolling? Is it appealing? Attractive? Fun? Or is it boring, mundane, and like every other job posting right now? Make it stick out!! WE have an awesome team, so show it off!!! Appeal to the audience you are trying to attract! Is your first paragraph just explaining the job, or is it pulling the prospect in? Does it grab their attention? Are you focusing on the great qualities of your practice that make it unique? What do you have to offer that sets you apart? We all know there is nothing worse than a boring ad. As much as the title sounds amazing, we go to the next job because it just seems BORING! (Again, we have all been there:) ) Before you post the ad, ask for feedback. Send it to your team, and ask them, would you apply for this job? Any recommendations? How can we make it stick out? Are we offering a sign on bonus? Can we ask our team and create an internal referral bonus? (Feel free to email me for ideas on this!) When team members are given an incentive, they are MORE likely to participate and bring on like minded team members. Think about staggering this over six months to a year to extend the payments. A few tips for writing an ad: Make the title stick out Talk about your practice. Share your vision and/or mission. People want to work for an office that they can relate to. How do you stand out? What makes you unique? Be specific in what you are looking for in order to weed out extra candidates. Keep it organized, simple, and EASY! I think it's important to remember that we are all in the same boat, trying to add to our team. If you want quality team members who are engaged, energetic, and motivated, you may have to up the ante. If you settle to pay what the doctor down the street is paying, there is no strong incentive to bring new people in. Engage on social media! This is HUGE! Find someone in the office who is awesome at posting and hand the task to them! (With a little incentive:) ). Show your team off! Engage in a community event or two and show off what you are doing. You can even hire a company to do this for you, although amping it up can be done by the team! SHARE your posts! Show off the AWESOME things you do in the office. Hold a team event a few times a year (dinner, sports game, laser tag, spa day). We know you all have fun, and take excellent care of your patients, so let the world know!! People will WANT to join your team organically! If you are looking for a part-time team member, don’t be afraid to post for a temp.This helps to get some faces in the door and see how it goes. If you like them, offer them a permanent position. NO strings attached here. It actually can be very effective:) Lastly, where are you posting your ads? Take a minute to do a job search yourself. There are several places you can post the opening. Some I have used are Indeed, Dental Post, I Hire Dental, Zip Recruiter, Simply hired and craigslist. It seems as if different areas are more successful on different sites, so ask around. Ask what your fellow dentists in the area are using. Don’t be afraid to pay a fee for a posting. Again, if you want qualified team members, you have to put it out there. Post on social media and SHARE SHARE SHARE! Just some of my previous experience, mixed in with today's experiences on getting good team members in the door. Ask applicants that you do not hire, that you thought could be a good fit, if you may hold onto their resume. Building a bank of great team members will set you up for success. Always have options in case something doesn’t work out, or when you are expanding your team. Another way to bring in good people is to give your team business cards they can pass out. If you are out in public, and you meet someone you think would be a good fit, offer them a card. You NEVER know when you will meet the perfect person! I have provided a sample ad for a dental hygienist below!! Dental Hygienist Ad: Our growing team is seeking a motivated, professional Dental Hygienist who is committed to providing excellent, quality dental care to our patients. Our core values are centered around patient care, community involvement, and family promoted culture. As a growing office, we are looking for hygienists that are ready to take their career to the next level. If you are looking for a career change, where you can fully utilize your clinical abilities, please send your resume to:. Responsibilities include: Providing comprehensive dental hygiene services to patients Sterilization of dental instruments Proficient using current infection controls techniques Knowledge and understanding of periodontal disease Charting measurements for diagnosis with the Dentist Education Current License in the State of Illinois Minimum of an Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene Current CPR Certification Additional Benefits Free dental services 401(K) retirement plan Family and Team oriented events Vacation benefits Study Club Membership Continuing education offered throughout the year Volunteer Opportunities *Salary based off experience ~Kellie Black, RDH Disclaimer: This article is the sole opinion and research of the writer and doesn’t reflect the opinions of ZenSupplies.
Dear ZenFamily, Happy Monday and happy August to all! As we jump into another busy week, we’d like to share a recap of live events and webinars for last week (the week of July 27) as well as some exciting live events that we have planned for the week of August 3. So here goes! On Wednesday, July 29, by many requests from the ZenFamily, we invited Mary Govoni to the live webinar to discuss the new OSHA/CDC guidelines, requirements, and simply what's working and what our teams need to know about infection control. Tiger asked Mary about the current shortage of Nitrile Gloves and Surface disinfectants (wipes). What are the options if we can't buy any more? How do we get through the tough times? Please take a look at the full webinar here: https://youtu.be/Gr2K_HEyymU And here is the podcast: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b8be1436 To find more information on Mary Govoni & Associates, please visit: On Friday, 7/31 at 11 am CST, Tiger hosted our traditional "15 min Friday Supply Availability Update" for Zen Offices! Please join us Every Friday at 11am Central for a live update on what is going on on the market and availability of dental supplies. All you have to do is login to your Zen account, app.ZenSupplies.com For the week of August 3, we have planned the following events: 1. On Wednesday, August 5 at 11 am CST, we invited John Hatfield and Amanda Newhouse to a live event to share with us what the process of opening up a dental assistant academy entails. John from Dental Assistants Worldwide will cover in depth the challenges and exciting aspects of starting the Cornerstone Dental Assistant Academy. We plan to ask John and Amanda the following: -What made him want to start a dental assisting academy? -What will be different in their school as compared to other dental assisting schools? -Why is a dental assisting academy needed? -Will Cornerstone Dental Assistant Academy provide remote learning options? -What are the challenges with the school not being remote/being remote? -How will the curriculum change post covid? -How will the curriculum influence sedation, implants, sleep apnea procedures? How to prepare for the new trends in dentistry? The benefit of the LIVE Webinar is that we will be able to answer YOUR questions during this time. So please join us at 11 am CST on Wednesday 8/5 at 11 am CST! All you have to do is login to your Zen account, or follow this link: https://app.livewebinar.com/699-206-742 2. And per our Friday tradition, on Friday, August 7 at 11 am CST Tiger will host a 15 minute Supply Availability Update. The ZenTeam is spending countless hours every week doing due diligence, learning about different products and product shortages, and sourcing new vendors. In addition, the landscape of the supply chain is constantly changing and so are the prices of PPE products. Therefore, I would like to host a 15 min live event EVERY Friday at 11 am Central with a special guest to go over what we learn during the week. We will share EVERYTHING-good, bad and what to prepare for. And this Friday, we invited Dr. Matthew Kathan from Timber Dental to share his invention with us! Simply login to your ZenSupplies account and join us there for all live events! Thank you to all for participating in our live events and we look forward to seeing everyone during this week’s webinars!
Many are concerned with what’s next? When do we get back to normal? What is the new normal? While all of these things are important, I truly believe that the new normal is the renaissance of entrepreneurship in the dental space. Every person who is in the operatory or the front desk has an IDEA! Most importantly EVERY idea is worth putting in action. Every idea is worth exploring and giving it a try. So my question is how do we encourage and propel entrepreneurship forward at the time of uncertainty? Just a simple observation, tough times are the best time to start a business! When I meet with doctors, hygienists, and my favorite dental assistants I encourage them to bring small, seemingly simple/ uninspiring ideas, to some sort of fruition. You gotta get it out and let the world see it. Yes, most ideas will be labeled as “stupid” but if you have what it takes you will go back and think through and come up with a new version. There has been a strong push to start service type business or consulting, to help dental practices with different aspects of collections, operations, OSHA, Compliance, HR, etc. We also see a new wave of dental assisting schools opening across the country, and I want to give a shout out to my friend John Hatfield and his business partner Amanda for opening a new type of dental assisting school, with an added emphasis on budgeting, how to order supplies and compliance. The type of entrepreneurship I would like to encourage and support is around Product Innovation. It would be so great to encourage product type entrepreneurship. Imagine we create a world where dental professionals are encouraged to bring new, innovative ideas to life. I’ve been asking people to develop a new type of wipes that are eco-friendly, use natural ingredients, and use recycled materials. Anyone, please? So what do we need to do as an industry to help bolster entrepreneurship within the dental field? In my personal opinion few things need to be done or developed: Ecosystem for inventors to be able to quickly list a product (or products) provide a Shopify like experience and access to the audience of shoppers who can see new products and give it a try. The ecosystem needs to truly support inventors from the bottom up. So if there is no sales at all or just a small volume, there shouldn’t be any fees associated with listing and selling products. We need to give it a push just enough for inventors to see that there is a demand. The ecosystem that provides access to end users/ buyers. If there is a demand we need to provide inventors access to people who try the product and can provide feedback, either through review, or even online conversion - could be chat or Google Meet. Support Inventors with product distribution without any legal jargon or hard rules, or exclusive contracts. Or better yet provide a software solution for efficient drop ship (something similar to ShipStation). Providing support. It’s easy for some of us to create and invent and push forward, however after meeting so many people I realize there are a lot of people with great ideas and potentially with life-changing inventions that simply don’t believe in themselves. I also don’t believe in fake encouragement, however, the market is the market. If the product is good, people will buy it! There is really no downside in giving it a try. Podcast Support. It’s clear that the attention is shifting from forums to Facebook Groups and Podcasts. I believe each podcast should have a spot to allow Inventors to present products at no cost. It shouldn’t be a 2-3 minute commercial. More of a story, details, and why this product is important. This Friday I’ll be interviewing one of my good friends Dr. Matt Kathan, owner of Timber Dental, a Portland-based small DSO with 5 locations. During COVID, Dr. Matt invented a product and he will share with us what he learned. I’m really excited to discuss how we can help and support dental inventors across the US. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCWWEbnc-Yc[/embedyt] Tiger Safarov
Who likes to get up in the morning and DREAD going into the office? How many of us work for fun? (Being honest, MOST of us have to work)! So, how can we make this a great place to be? How can we make our teams feel secure, appreciated, and that each and every one of them MATTER? Over the years, as generations change, and studies are completed regarding mostly women in the workplace, we find that women don’t care about the money as much as we think they would. Their focus is more on feeling fulfilled As long as a team member understands their responsibilities in the office (See previous blog about creating checklists) Repetitive position- Show appreciation In order to support our team it is SO important to show them you care. Most offices consist of 12 or fewer team members, which can be so EASY to appreciate. We want to steer clear of making them feel like “just a number” or “just a warm body”. So how can we show them we appreciate what they do for the team, the office, and the patients? Bonus/Incentive-Offering an incentive or a bonus system is a way to show your team you care. If the team goes above and beyond, honor that. Praise, Praise, Praise!-Let them know how WONDERFUL they really are!! Recognize any team member that steps out of their role and does something special for a patient or a team member. We know how much you do appreciate them, so why not show it? Family leave benefits Being in a small office doesn’t mandate (In most states) that you have to offer any benefits for a team member that leaves for an absence, or a maternity leave. It can be difficult for an office to offer full family leave benefits when a team member is out of work for an extended period of time. So we can’t put the team out because we are losing one temporarily. So what can we do? Weekly Allowance- What about offering a small amount for a weekly pay? Maybe enough to cover groceries, or uncounted for baby supplies. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount. Anything you offer will show that you care, and that you would like them to return back to you. For the good of both parties, offer them to come back 1-2 days for the first few weeks, before coming back full time. Let them know you care:) Flexible work environments Most people today are looking for somewhat of a flexible schedule, or at least know they have the option when a particular time arises. Team members want flexibility. (One reason we lose team members over time). Are you too caught up on policy? Are you offering early outs, or days off to meet family needs, outside of vacation time? What could that look like to you? It can be hard to manage this in an office to make sure it doesn’t get taken advantage of, but it IS possible. Set deadlines, know how long they need to leave early on Tuesdays, and make it clear to the team. But get comfortable with saying no, when it can become a burden to the team. Early outs- Ask why? How long, and mark it on the calendar. Communicate it to the team and how we can make up for that extra hour of time. Rotated schedules-If you work every saturday, are you rotating your team so they can have a 2 day weekend every now and then? Stay Interviews Just as important as initial interview, and performance evaluations, are “Stay” interviews. We want them to stay, right?! How can we ensure that we are on the same page with them, and they are happy in their position. We conduct annual, or semi-annual interviews! It’s hard to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday, but connecting with your team and be very beneficial in the long run. You may find out some really great, quality information from them, and had you not sat with them, you wouldn’t have known!! Stay Interview-Ask your team what they LOVE about the office? What makes them come to work everyday? Also dive into what they would change if given the opportunity, and listen. You may find that they have some SUPER awesome ideas! This also opens up communication with your team, and they feel heard. Goals-Ask them where they want to be in a year? It may be the same place, and it may be somewhere you never would have guessed. They may be returning to school, in which you had no previous knowledge. They may be interested in another role in the office, and you may just be looking for that position to fill in the short future. My point is really to connect with them, building trust and open communication. Have fun! What are you doing for fun with your team? Are you sitting down once a week and having lunch with them? Engaging in conversations weekly? Do you know about their family, their kids names? Birthdays? Some of these things seem so easy to do, yet we steer clear of them in order to keep the office “professional”. You can still be professional, AND be involved:) Team Dinner-Set up a team dinner once a year, outside of the holiday, just for fun:) Community event-This can be inside or outside the office. Better yet, let that super excited, high energy dental assistant lead the project! She will LOVE it! Local Sports game-Go to a local sports game and invite the family. You can contact the company and ask about group pricing. Social hour-Have an after work social hour. Keep it 1-2 hours. Enough time to chat, eat, and be social:) CE-Go to a CE with the team, or host one right in your community with local offices. Bring in some education. Its a great time to learn, eat, and be social:) Read “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” as a team-Set up some lunch hours and talk about this book. Either chapter by chapter, or as a whole. Write down appreciation languages for the team to see. This is so FUN! Getting to know what makes them tick is a really good way to show your appreciation! Do a drawing-Be creative! Whether its for accomplishments in the office, going above and beyond, or just because you appreciate them! Talk about it in the huddle and acknowledge them. Offer some swag- This doesn’t have to be done from above. Again, find that AWESOME team member that you know from the “stay” interview would like to be more involved. Ask her to work with a local company and design some cute winter hats, or workout shirts. Give them away. Maybe down the road you can even include patients with the swag? :) Maximize your team Now that we talked about our “Stay” interviews, and how to show appreciation, are you able to utilize the information you have? Maybe you found that your team member really isn’t fulfilled in her position and would like other a different opportunity within the office? Is that position available? Can we talk about a timeline? Maybe begin some slow training so when the position is available, she/he will be ready. Are they on the right seat on the bus? You may find they would like to take on more. We NEED that. Our roles are so heavy, take advantage of that opportunity. Be open to listening-Maybe they would like to be a leadership role. Can you offer that? This could be a good time to enter them into some outside leadership, or even management, training. Also, a good time to have them shadow your office manager and see if they would even be a fit for the role. Offer opportunities where/when available- try not to overlook your team when an opening arises. This goes for any size office. Offer your team the open position before you post it publicly. (Please reach out if you have questions regarding this in more detail). I hope you find this information helpful. If you can take one tidbit of information and use it in your practice, you are WINNING. It will show with your team, and with your patients. During times like this it is even more important to show appreciation and care than ever. Our team members can be down, and scared with all of the unknowns. There is no I in team, and no one is successful alone. Find ways to be productive, positive, and enjoy every day! Be the leader, and the boss your team is looking for:) Kellie Black, RDH Kelliemac5@gmail.com Disclaimer: This article is the sole opinion and research of the writer and doesn’t reflect the opinions of ZenSupplies.
Dental practices have faced numerous challenges this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and those challenges continue. As the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to increase, dental practices are facing additional hardships. Supplies of PPE, especially respirators, continue to be difficult to find. Dentistry now faces shortages of disinfectant wipes and gloves. And as the community spread of COVID-19 increases, patients and dental team members are becoming infected in record numbers, causing confusion about what to do in case of exposure. Yet another challenge that looms on the horizon is increased surveillance of dental practices by regulatory authorities, such as OSHA and state dental boards. Managing these challenges requires dental teams to continue to access information updates from public health agencies, training when updates occur, and written documentation of efforts to provide the safest environment for both patients and dental teams. There have been numerous OSHA inspections in dental practices resulting from complaints from employees. In addition, some state OSHA agencies have been conducting unannounced inspection for compliance with COVID-19 guidelines for employee safety. In the case of a practice in MA, OSHA issued numerous citations and fines of $9500.00. Information about this inspection is available through these links: Inspection Detail | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov), and Georgetown Dentist Fined $9,500 For Violating Coronavirus Safety Guidelines – CBS Boston (cbslocal.com). The good news is that vaccines should be available within the next few months. It is important to note, however, that the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines will not immediately end the pandemic. Most public health experts agree that COVID-19 will continue to spread and require us to continue to follow our guidance from the CDC for at least the next year. We must continue to be vigilant in screening patients and employees, wearing appropriate PPE, practicing universal source control, updating infection prevention training and documenting all of the protocols that we follow to protect both patients and dental team members. While it is unlikely that dental practices will be ordered to close again, as in the beginning of the pandemic, we cannot let pandemic fatigue to cause us to let our guard down. Instead it is an opportunity to fine tune our protocols to be prepared for whatever may come our way. Let us look at these protocols and what is required. Both OSHA and the CDC state that when aerosol-generating procedures are performed, the respiratory protection level is N95 or higher. Guidance for Dental Settings | CDC and COVID-19 - Control and Prevention | Denstistry Workers and Employers | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov). When N95 masks were very difficult to find in the beginning of the pandemic, the FDA allowed the use of Chinese-approved KN95 respirators to be used during the pandemic through its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) provisions. In addition, when even the KN95 respirators were difficult to obtain, the CDC guidance stated that an ASTM Level 3 surgical mask and a full face shield could be work, but not for treating a patient that known or suspected to be COVID-19 positive. Although N95 respirators are still not in great supply, they are available now through both dental and medical distributers. Respirator manufacturers have increased production and shifted production to the U.S. to assist in getting these much- needed devices to health care professionals. In addition, the FDA EUA allows health care workers to reuse these disposable (one-time use) devices to help supplies to last longer. It is risky to assume that just because respirators were difficult or impossible to obtain several months ago, that may not be the case now. If your practice is inspected by OSHA, an inspector will ask to see documentation of your attempts to obtain appropriate PPE. Keeping a log of these efforts will protect your practice against citations and fines. There have been news reports of severe shortages of gloves. This could be a game changer. Unlike respirators during the EUA, gloves cannot be reused. Practices may have to switch from their preferred type or brand of gloves temporarily, even using latex gloves in some cases. Latex gloves have not been used routinely for some time because of the prevalence of sensitivity and allergies on the part of patients and dental professionals. If you must use latex gloves, be sure to screen both patients and employees for these sensitivities and make sure that your Epi-Pens are accessible and up to date in case there is an emergency. Many dental distributers are providing different brands of disinfectant wipes than what most practices are familiar with. Make sure that the product is EPA registered, and has a label claim as a tuberculocidal disinfectant. Although many manufacturers are promoting their EPA-registered claims against SARS-CoV2, the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Health-Care Settings states when there is the presence of blood, an intermediate level, tuberculocidal disinfectant must be used. RR5217 Dental Front.pmd (cdc.gov). The EPA stated early in the pandemic that products on the EPA List N should be used, but recently clarified that if a product does not appear on this list, but has a label claim for a microorganism more difficult to kill than SARS-CoV-2, it was acceptable to use. List N Advanced Search Page: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Pesticide Registration | US EPA. It is possible that your favorite brand of disinfectant is available in a liquid formula that can be applied with a spray bottle, however, it is important to remember that we switched from spraying disinfectants to using wipes to decrease chemical exposure (and potential for respiratory problems) for dental team members. The solution can be sprayed onto an applicator (gauze or paper towel) and applied to surfaces. The CDC Guidelines for Sterilization and Disinfection in Health Care Settings Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008 (cdc.gov) state that solution should not be placed in containers where gauze or other applicators is soaked. The fibers in the gauze will inactivate the solution. Wipes are different in composition and do not cause this to happen. Several companies, including SciCan, sell dry wipes (StatWipes) that you can add your preferred disinfectant to. In addition to an OSHA-required Exposure Control (infection control) Plan, dental practices must also have a COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan. This must be in writing and is a key document scrutinized in an OSHA inspection. Key elements of this plan include a Hazard Assessment and Exposure Determination, and protocols to follow if an employee is exposed to COVID-19 at work. Guidance for the Preparedness and Response plan is available from OSHA in these documents: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA4045.pdf and Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (osha.gov). CDC guidance on exposure to COVID-19 and returning to work is available in these documents: Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Work Restrictions for Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure to COVID-19 | CDC, Return-to-Work Criteria for Healthcare Workers | CDC. When dental team members wear respirators, a written respiratory protection plan is also required, which includes information on the required medical evaluations and fit testing of the devices. Again, OSHA has provided guidance on developing a plan in these links and documents: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf, OSHA 3384 SMALL ENTITY FOR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION STANDARD REV 9.28.11:Layout 1. Medical evaluations and fit testing must be documented. Although it has been reported that OSHA has suspended all fit-testing requirements, it has only suspended the annual fit-testing of respirators. These tests must be completed initially (when first wearing respirators) and any time that the type or brand of respirator is changed. Since this could be often, due to supply shortages, I recommend that dental practices conduct their own fit-tests. A member of the team can be trained to administer the fit-test and test kits can be purchased through most dental distributors. Some test kits come with an instructional video, but online training is available and there is no certification required. A free, online program for fit-testing is available through the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses at: AAOHN : Online Learning. Dentistry will be forever changed by this pandemic – mostly in positive ways. We have a better understanding of disease transmission and how to control the spread of infectious diseases. We have more scientific knowledge about the hazards of exposure to aerosols in dentistry and the importance of air quality in our dental health care settings. Our patients have a greater appreciation for all the safety protocols we follow to keep them safe. The negative impact is most certainly from the costs associated with PPE and other equipment and supplies. But we are dedicated to the delivery of quality oral health care in the safest manner possible. We will survive this challenge and quite possibly be more resilient because of it and be better prepared if another pandemic occurs in the future. If your practice would like some assistance in developing your OSHA and COVID-19 documentation, please contact me at mary@marygovoni.com, or visit my website at www.marygovoni.com. Mary Govoni, MBA, CDA, RDH Mary Govoni & Associates