Frequently asked questions
Directives intérimaires concernant la pratique professionnelle en clinique dentaire en situation de pandémie (phase 3)1
(Interim directives on the return to regular activities in dental clinics – the Directives)
No, these are interim measures. Since the situation and our knowledge of the COVID-19 virus is constantly changing, the guidance presented in these Directives could be amended.
We are currently working on a summary, which will be translated into English. It will be sent to you as soon as possible. The relevant appendices will be included in this summary.
Patient triage
This leaflet has been amended to reflect this reality. The amended version has recently been sent to you.
Dental procedures
As described in leaflet 4, it is considered safe to conduct an oral exam using standard universal protection measures, without a protective gown.
A parent can accompany his or her child in the treatment room. Refer to the established protocol in leaflet 4 for the instructions that apply in such cases.
Personal protective equipment
We have just received a message about O2 masks and are taking the necessary steps to learn more about them and check their certification. We will provide you with more details as soon possible.
The Directives will be amended soon to allow the use of P100 masks. However, P100 masks will need to be worn with a procedural mask to cover the integrated valve and filter dentists’ exhalation.
The KN95 masks approved for use in Canada are listed on the Health Canada website. Click HERE to access the list. There are many distributors selling these masks who may contact you, but none of them have been certified by the Order.
Certain KN95 masks do need to be tested, but those approved for use in Canada do not require a fit test.
There is a lack of reliable resources to conduct fit tests at the moment. Discussions are ongoing with dental equipment suppliers to set up a list of resources. More information will be provided to you once it is available.
Gowns do seem to be divided into categories by manufacturers, but there are currently no particular standards associated with their use in dental clinics. Washable, handmade gowns are also authorized.
Once the aerosols have landed on surfaces, employees do not need to wear a new gown to disinfect the room, unless the patient treated was a confirmed case of COVID-19.
After careful review of the situation, it was not found necessary to make this measure mandatory. You can, however, wear a cap if you wish.
Ventilation and filtration
Yes, but you must first take certain precautions. If you need to perform an aerosol-generating procedure and you do not know the parameters of your ventilation system, you can assume that it provides two air changes per hour (2 AC/H). This means you need to wait 138 minutes from the time you stopped generating aerosols to the start of the next treatment (see table 3 in leaflet 5).
The Order has consulted ventilation experts who developed a simplified calculation tool to help you check the air filtration in the rooms you will need.
This calculation tool can be used to enter the size of the room and the HEPA filtration rate (AC/H) to determine the required wait time between each patient from the moment aerosol production has stopped.
The formula used in the table is based on six air changes, including one supply of new air – that is, 10 to 15 percent of new air.
You can consult the AHAM website for technical data on many air purifiers. If you know the type of appliance for which you need information, you can find it under the “Brand” tab. Or you can search under “Tobacco Smoke CADR,” which corresponds to the AC/H in the calculation tool.
If you don’t know the number of decibels produced by the appliance, visit this website Bruit et Société (in French only) for comparative data on noise levels
To access this tool, if your dental clinic is in red zone, please click HERE.
To access this tool, if your dental clinic is in green, yellow or orange zone, please click HERE.
If you still have questions after consulting this tool, please forward them to ventilation@odq.qc.ca.
The door should generally be made of a solid material (e.g., plastic, polyethylene), which can be cleaned.
Compliance with the directives
Inspectors from the Order could come to inspect clinics once the gradual opening has been completed.
1 The Directives were issued by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), upon the recommendation of a working group set up by the MSSS. The 59-page guidance document was made public on May 22, 2020.