We Can Do This
Memorial Day 2020 is approximately when clinical dental hygiene practice reopened after COVID-19 shut us down.
I’m writing this Editor’s Note on Memorial Day weekend. I realize by the time you read it, Memorial Day 2020 will have passed, but the way you celebrated this year will likely stay with you for quite some time. For many of us, it may have been the first time in weeks that we ventured out to do some “nonessential” shopping. In my case, I actually went to a store that didn’t sell food or pharmaceutical products. It may have been the first weekend you visited relatives or gathered for a meal with someone other than household members. And although you felt apprehensive, perhaps you took a walk in a nearby park or rode your bike on your favorite trail. More pertinent to our work, Memorial Day 2020 is approximately when clinical dental hygiene practice reopened after COVID-19 shut us down. We are slowly getting back to our lives, and that’s a good thing.
For us at Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, it’s been different as well. Our May issue was published exclusively online at: dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com. And while working from home isn’t anything new for me, it was a change for many of our staff. Regardless of our working arrangements, we never wavered in our commitment to you, our readers, and the importance of bringing you timely and relevant content. Hopefully, you’ve been receiving our daily COVID-19 News Alerts via email. Each edition contains late-breaking information about the pandemic that is useful for dental hygiene practitioners. In recent alerts, we’ve focused on topics such as:
- The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines to help safeguard oral health professionals as they return to practice.
- The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated guidelines for dental practices. The new guidance focuses on providing the most necessary dental services first and limiting the risk of an infected person entering the dental practice.
- The United States Department of Health and Human Services securing 300 million doses of an experimental vaccine created by AstraZeneca in partnership with Oxford University as part of Operation Warp Speed.
MEMORIAL DAY 2020 IS APPROXIMATELY WHEN CLINICAL DENTAL HYGIENE PRACTICE REOPENED AFTER COVID-19 SHUT US DOWN. WE ARE SLOWLY GETTING BACK TO OUR LIVES, AND THAT’S A GOOD THING.
These alerts will continue until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. To subscribe, visit: dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/covid-19. All past topics are housed in this special section of the Dimensions website so you can refer to them as needed.
The past few months have been a wild ride. As we begin to move beyond our stay-at-home activities, we can reflect on what we’ve learned and how much more there is to know. Most important is that we realize how precious life is, and how dear our family and friends are to us. We’ve learned that we can face difficulty and come through stronger. Some of us have fallen ill. Even more devastating, some of us have lost loved ones. Many are facing economic and employment situations that seem hopeless. Yet we continue to move on knowing that better days are ahead. That’s what binds us together and makes oral healthcare professionals some of the most dedicated, selfless individuals I know.
We can do this. #Upward!
Jill Rethman, RDH, BA
Editor in Chief
jrethman@belmontpublications.com
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. June 2020;18(6):6.
