We are aware that some states have started announcing plans to begin opening dental offices in coming weeks. We continue to engage in active dialogue with state authorities, other Washington health care organizations, and the ADA on next steps for our state’s plan for reactivating non-emergent dental and medical care.

The decision making authority on this lies with the Governor, not the WSDA.

We will continue to share updates as possible.

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Dental Quality Assurance Commission Update

The dental commission met on April 17 to discuss various issues. Below are highlights from the meeting.

BLS Certification
The dental commission approved an extension for BLS certifications through Sept. 30 to align with the licensure extension for renewals due between April 1 and Sept. 30. 

Online CE
The dental commission determined that no change or exception is necessary at this time to online CE credit but will revisit this topic prior to Sept. 30, 2020. It is important to note: 

• CE is now on a 3-year cycle. CE will not be checked until licensee’s renewal date in 2022.
• Dentists can take an unlimited number of live webinars for full CE credit.
• Dentists can take an unlimited number of pre-recorded (not live) CE courses. However, for every hour completed, only 30 minutes will count towards the 63-hour requirement. 
• Sedation permit CE hours are different from dentist license CE hours. Online CE for sedation permits are calculated as full credit.

Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE)
The dental commission has decided to include the DLOSCE as an acceptable examination to WAC 246-817-120. An emergency rule is currently being processed to allow Washington state dentist applicants to take the DLOSCE as a method of licensure if passed. Since an emergency rule is only valid for 120 days, the dental commission also agreed to pursue permanent rulemaking to add the DLOSCE.

Read the Dental Commission's Announcement

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PPP/EIDL Funding & Local Loan/Grant Opportunities

PPP/EIDL
The House has just passed an emergency bill that is expected to inject $370 billion into the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants.

The ADA urges members to consider applying for both EIDL and PPP loans. If you have already applied and the processing of your application was put on hold because of the lack of funding, please keep an eye out for a message from your lender about status updates. If you have not applied for either loan, the ADA strongly urges that you consider applying for them as quickly as possible. Although additional funding was allocated for these loan programs, we still expect funding to be exhausted quickly.

To learn more about the Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 relief options available for businesses, visit the SBA website.

The best way to find a PPP lender is to start with your existing bank or lending institution. If they don’t plan to offer PPP loans, you can search online for eligible PPP lenders or contact their local SBA district office.

New Local Loans

• Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Pacific or Wahkiakum County - Coastal Communities Loan Fund
• Jefferson County - LION COVID-19 Emergency Loan
• Pierce County - Emergency Small Business Relief Loan Program
• Skagit County - Skagit County Loan Fund

New Local Grants

• Asotin, Garfield or Whitman - Information & Grant Application
• City of Lacey - Small Business Grant

Other Grants

• Working Washington Small Business Grant - Did you apply for a Working Washington Small Business Grant? If you applied but didn’t receive funding, that could change as an additional $5 million in funding has become available from the state’s $200 million emergency response fund approved by the Legislature in March
• Facebook Small Business Grant Program - Sign up to be notified of the grant availability and apply now if you are in King County
• Amazon Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund

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Upcoming Webinars

ADA and OSAP Live Webinar: Respiratory Protection in the Era of COVID-19
Friday, April 24 at 10:00 AM PT | Register

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, dentistry has been introduced to a new level of PPE: the respirator. Join Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP) experts Kathy Eklund and Eve Cuny as they discuss interim recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE) in dental settings.

Apple Health (Medicaid) Telehealth Policy
Thursday, April 30 at Noon PT | Register

HCA is holding this webinar to provide an overview of telehealth for Apple Health (Medicaid) and to discuss billing and policy tools you can use. There will also be a Q&A session.

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ADA Offers Free E-books

As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is continuing to offer free e-books to its members. This week’s selections include “Guidelines for Practice Success: Managing Marketing” and “How to Use Evidence-Based Dental Practices to Improve Your Clinical Decision-Making.” They will be available April 22–28. To access your free e-books and streaming videos, visit the e-bookshelf at ebooks.ada.org and log in with your user name and password.

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Please continue to check wsda.org/COVID-19 and its Clinical Guidance and Business Impacts pages for additional resources and updates.

Sincerely,



Dr. Dennis Bradshaw
WSDA President