Welcome to the Utah Dental Association!
Welcome to the UDA Website. We hope you will enjoy the features we can offer through the American Dental Association's web hosting services. Visit often to access the many resources and links to updated information. Thank you for visiting and for your continued membership in the ADA/UDA.
The 2021 UDA Convention at the Salt Palace will be an In-person event on April 8-9, 2021.
The UDA and Salt Palace have been working effortlessly to be able to hold an in-person convention in early April. Many precautions and safety measures will be in place to make everyone feel safe about attending in-person. Online Pre-Registration will be required! Unfortunately, Seating will be more limited than previous years. Therefore, when registration opens in mid-January, you will want to be some of the first to select your courses and reserve your spot. More information will be coming soon. See the Convention page for added information. See the convention page now.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Phased approach to vaccination
Utah wants it to be easy for everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as large quantities are available. However, we will only have a limited supply of the vaccine at first. This means that policymakers must develop plans to make sure those who are most at-risk get the vaccine first, and that vaccines are distributed in a fair, ethical, and transparent way.
The Utah Department of Health organized a workgroup made up of health professionals throughout the state (The Utah Prioritization Workgroup) to develop recommendations for how to prioritize vaccination groups on the state and local level. Their final recommendations, called Utah’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, are based on current information about COVID-19 vaccines, state and local data, vaccine storage capability of facilities, and guidance from the CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
More vaccines will be available over the next few weeks and months. We will continue to provide additional updates about vaccine distribution information when more doses of the vaccine become available.
Vaccine administration for most dental offices will be through their own Local Health Department (LHD). The LDH’s are busy trying to establish what works best for scheduling vaccine distribution in their areas. Therefore, the method each LHD uses for vaccine distribution varies. We are trying to gather information as each LHD develops a plan for distribution. Several LHD’s have not finalized or released their plans for distribution.
Currently we have the following information on the LDH’s planned administration of the vaccine: (last updated 30 Dec 2020)
Bear River (Box Elder, Cache, Rich counties)
Bear River Information
Central Utah (Juab, Millard, Piute, Sevier, Wayne, Sanpete counties)
- Currently working to finalize plan
Davis County
- Dental Offices should have been contacted by the health department. The health department will be contacting them directly with instructions on how to get the vaccine.
Salt Lake County
San Juan County
Southeast Utah (Carbon, Emery, Grand counties) 435-259-5602
- The health department will be contacting offices directly to get on list to schedule appointment. They will be using mobile van to distribute to offices.
Southwest Utah (Garfield, Iron, Kane, Washington, Beaver counties)
Summit County
- Health Department stated when they receive the vaccine, they will contact the dental offices to get them the vaccine.
Tri-County (Daggett, Duchesne, Uintah counties)
- Health Department has reached out to dental offices to find the number of who will get it in each office. Anticipates they will be getting it soon. May be mobile in pods.
Tooele County
Utah County
Utah County Information
Wasatch County
Weber-Morgan
-
You must make an appointment to participate in the clinic. Participants should plan to receive their second vaccination around February 8-11.
Please read the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheet before scheduling your appointment to ensure you have the information needed to help you make an informed decision about vaccination. You may also visit the CDC Coronavirus Website to read more information about COVID-19 vaccinations.
If you choose to receive the vaccine, you will need to schedule an appointment using the following Registration Link. The current schedule is ONLY for healthcare workers
The UDA is recommending all dental team members become aware of their own LHD’s plans for administration of the vaccine when available.
COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
Utah’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan will likely change as more vaccines become available, more people are vaccinated, and timelines become more clear.
Learn more
For providers
For those interested in administering the vaccine – click “For Providers” for additional information from the Health Department.
MORE INFORMATION ON
Utah Health Guidance Levels
The COVID-19 Transmission Index clarifies the public health metrics that are used to determine which counties are at what level of transmission: high, moderate, or low. These levels correspond directly to the case rates, positivity rates, and ICU utilization.
The data helps us understand the real risk of transmission in our communities. Important health behaviors, based on epidemiology and medical science, are described at each level to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19.
Resources and help to Navigate the Pandemic
The UDA is very proud to have been influential and recognized by the governor to have been a major factor in reopening of dental and medical offices. We are certain the offices following the ADA recommendations are finding the patients appreciate your efforts and feel comfortable to return to the dental office’s that are taking those recommended precautions.
The Utah Dental Association and the American Dental Association have been the #1 advocates for dentistry in these unprecedented times. Many state and national efforts have been made to help dental professionals manage the Covid pandemic and the effects on the dental offices. The dental community and situation would look very different without the ADA and UDA’s help and influence.
We continually want to remind all Dentists and their Dental Team members to visit ADA.org/virus often to see frequent updates and tools available to help patients and staff feel they are doing their best to minimize risks during dental treatments during this pandemic. New information becomes available almost daily.
Other Government Resources
CDC: COVID-19: Guidance for Dental Settings: View
CDC Recommendations: View
What to do if COVID-19 impacts your employment: View
Dept of Workforce Services information on COVID-19: View
Guidance for Preparing Workplaces for Coronavirus: View
ADA Statement on Dentistry as Essential Health Care
CHICAGO, August 10, 2020 — A new interim policy from the American Dental Association (ADA) states dentistry is an “essential health care service,” reaffirming that oral health has long been recognized as an integral part of overall health.
“Whether it’s the current pandemic, a future epidemic or a natural disaster in a particular area, this policy recognizes the need for people to be able to continue to access the full range of dental services,” said ADA President Chad P. Gehani, D.D.S. “Oral health is integral to overall health — staying well depends on having access to health care, which includes dental treatment.”
Dr. Gehani added that regular dental visits are important because treatment, as well as prevention of dental disease, helps keep people healthy. “Beyond teeth and gums, the mouth also serves as a window to the rest of the body and can show signs of infection, nutritional deficiencies and systemic diseases,” he said.
The policy includes the following:
- Oral health is an integral component of systemic health.
- Dentistry is an essential health care service because of its role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing or treating oral diseases, which can affect systemic health.
- The term “Essential Dental Care” be defined as any care that prevents and eliminates infection, preserves the structure and function of teeth as well as orofacial hard and soft tissues. Orofacial generally refers to the mouth, jaws and face.
- Essential dental care should continue to be delivered during global pandemics or other disaster situations.
- Government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have acknowledged dentistry as an essential service needed to maintain the health of Americans so they can sustain their health and livelihoods and live resiliently during the COVID-19 pandemic response. State agencies or officials be urged to recognize the oral health workforce when designating its essential workforce during public health emergencies, in order to assist them in protecting the health of their constituents.
For more information and to read the full policy, visit ADA.org.
For more information about oral health, visit the ADA’s website for consumers, MouthHealthy.org.
Editor’s Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn
COVID-19 Resources
During these unprecedented times, there has been a flood of information become available. It’s difficult to determine what information is the best and applicable. We recommend seeking information from reliable sources. And always check with your own professional advisors when making business decisions. The UDA is working hard to bring you the most reliable and latest information. At this time, the following seems to be reliable resources of which have great information.
Continuing Education and License Renewal info
To understand the Sedation level parameters when determining the level of licensure classification to be used in your practice – Go to: ADA Guidelines for Sedation and Anesthesia