Patients at Sooke’s Otter Point Dental patients warned of potential COVID-19 exposure

Patients at Sooke’s Otter Point Dental patients warned of potential COVID-19 exposure
File photo courtesy CBC
All elective and non-essential dental services are suspended in B.C.

Otter Point Dental in Sooke is urging patients who were in contact with any of the staff after March 7 to self-quarantine immediately due to possible COVID-19 exposure.

According to the dental office, the self-quarantine period should be 14 days from the date of the visit.

Otter Point Dental posted a notice on its website saying one staff member of the office attended the Pacific Dental Conference. They are in self-isolation and have not had any cold or flu symptoms after 10 days (March 17).

Otter Point Dental’s advice is different from the College of Dental Surgeons of BC (CDSBC)​, who have wrote only conference attendees need to self-isolate.

However, Otter Point Dental said its advice is a “precautionary measure.”

There is no testing available for people who do not have symptoms. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has an online self-assessment tool.

If people have questions after doing the self-assessment tool, they can contact their healthcare provider or call 811 for guidance.

If the symptoms are severe such as shortness of breath or chest pain, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department

Non-medical information about COVID-19 is available from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1-888-COVID19.

Otter Point Dental closed March 17 after the CDSBC said all elective and non-essential dental services were to be suspended.

The directive came on March 16 after least four new COVID-19 cases related to an infected person who attended the Pacific Dental Conference , held at the Vancouver Convention Centre March 5 to 7, were confirmed.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said all those who attended the conference needed to self isolate immediately.

Otter Point Dental said it will continue to monitor the changing COVID-19 situation based on information from the CDSBC and provincial health officer.

“We are following suggested practices and protocols to ensure that our clinic will be a safe place to provide and receive emergency treatment,” Otter Point Dental said in its notice.

“All dental practices use advanced infection control procedures. All surfaces are disinfected before any patient visits. Protective covers are replaced after each patient. Before seeing the next patient, everyone on the treatment team washes their hands and put on a new pair of gloves. This helps to reduce the risk of infections like COVID-19. The risk of transmission is low due to these factors.”

Otter Point will be open for essential emergencies with staff that did not attend the Pacific Dental Conference.

Alexa HuffmanAlexa Huffman

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