A broken tooth will not wait for the COVID-19 outbreak to subside. As hospital emergency departments across the country face spiking admissions of patients, Penn Dental Medicine remains committed to safely serving patients so they can avoid the risks of contracting COVID-19 in crowded waiting rooms, or otherwise contribute to straining an already overwhelmed health system.
After a temporary interruption of services in response to state health guidelines, Penn Dental Medicine reopened on March 30 to serve patients of record with medical emergencies.
With clinics fielding emergency calls from as many as 70 patients in a day, Penn Dental has enacted protocol, including several layers of screening, to help protect dental professionals and patients from COVID-19. While Penn Dental Medicine is taking the necessary steps to safeguard the health of patients, practitioners, and communities, there remains a pressing need for acquiring protective equipment, especially masks. In this urgent time, the School has created the Penn Dental Medicine Clinical Emergency Fund to support needs related to patient care during this health crisis.
Donations to the Clinical Emergency Fund helps Penn Dental practice locations obtain essential clinical supplies, supports teledentistry programming that can help patients avoid unnecessary travel, and meets other vital needs.
“We have to do everything we can to make sure our patients and medical professionals are well-protected,” says Mark Wolff, the Morton Amsterdam Dean at Penn Dental. “The Penn Dental Medicine Clinical Emergency Fund helps us continue to provide urgent, high-quality care in a safe environment.”
Although COVID-19 poses enormous and immediate concerns, lessons learned from the global pandemic can help shape the future of dental practice, especially in elevating the quality and viability of teledentistry services. The impact of Penn Dental’s efforts is bringing out the best in patients, too. One grateful patient returned to the clinic after a tooth extraction to donate disposable gloves for dentists who are providing vital services to individuals, families, and communities.
Amid the ongoing health crisis, Dean Wolff remains optimistic and emboldened by the work of Penn Dental Medicine practitioners. “Our next step is figuring out how to start safely bringing people into our facilities for regular care as well as urgent,” Wolff says. “We’re going to get back to normal and deliver the high standard of care that people expect from Penn Dental.”
Visit the story on Penn Today to learn more about Penn Dental’s emergency services during the COVID-19 outbreak. Those who wish to contribute to high-quality dental care at this critical time can support the Penn Dental Medicine Clinical Emergency Fund by clicking the link below.
GIVE NOW to the Penn Dental Medicine Clinical Emergency Fund
