No elective work until at least May 8

Most dentists’ offices in Florida are closed except for emergency treatments because of an order by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In checking with those dentists in the Lake Okeechobee region who have a presence online, a website or Facebook page, phone calls in most cases go directly to a recorded message that asks patients to call 911 in emergencies or to leave a voice mail for staff, with the call to be returned in the order received.

The Florida Dental Association has this information on its website, floridadental.org:

“Governor Places Mandates on Dental Offices

“All hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, office surgery centers, dental, orthodontic and endodontic offices and other health care practitioners’ offices are directed to immediately cease performing elective services until May 8, 2020.

“Through issuance of Executive Order 20-72, Gov. Ron DeSantis has mandated the prohibition of any medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency procedure or surgery in the state of Florida. Dentists would still be required to see emergency patients. All non-essential elective medical and surgical procedures, including dental procedures, are included in order to conserve medical supplies and resources, preserve essential resources and control the potential spread of COVID-19.

“The governor’s previous executive order, E.O. 20-52, is referenced in the last sentence of the order suspending elective procedures. It is the official declaration of a public health emergency, which was filed on March 9 and expires 60 days from then: May 8.

“For more information on HR issues, please visit the FDA’s COVID-19 webpage.The FDA is working to be a go-to source for members and will regularly update its COVID-19 webpage and other resources to ensure they’re as current as possible in this rapidly changing environment.

“If you have questions that are not answered on the FDA’s website, please email fda@floridadental.org.

“At the Florida Dental Association, we have been preparing for several weeks to take action due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and want to make sure you know we are taking all the necessary steps to do our part to limit the spread of the virus. Our offices remain open; however, we have implemented a work-from-home policy for nearly all our employees. We are well-equipped technologically and operationally. We’ve also taken steps to ensure our ability to serve our members with minimal disruption. As we continue to monitor this evolving situation, we will maintain our focus on delivering the exceptional service our members have come to expect. Have questions? C​ontact us at 850-681-3629 or fda@floridadental.org.”