All but the most urgent dental procedures will be delayed until April 10 under new guidelines by the Alabama Department of Public Health. The situation will be reevaluated by April 10 and new guidelines will be issued.

The guidance echoes that of the American Dental Association.

“The ADA is deeply concerned for the health and well-being of the public and the dental team,” ADA said in a statement. “Concentrating on emergency dental care will allow us to care for our emergency patients and alleviate the burden that dental emergencies would place on hospital emergency departments.”

The change comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Alabama continues to grow and amid growing concerns about limiting COVID-19 exposure among healthcare workers.

Under the guidance, examples of elective procedures that should be delayed include routine hygiene appointments; cosmetic procedures such as veneers or teeth bleaching; most orthodontic procedures; and work on most crowns, bridges or dentures.

Urgent procedures would include dental plain; swelling of gums, face or neck; face, jaw or teeth trauma; broken tooth; ill-fitting denture; crown or bridge work if the temporary one is broken or causing irritation.

Dentists are urged to use cell phone triage with patients taking a photo of the area and texting it to the dentist.