The UAB Dental Group, or dental faculty practice, reopened for patient care on May 18, 2020. With an emphasis on patient safety, as well as the safety of our faculty and staff during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, critical oral health needs delayed by the onset of the pandemic can now be addressed.

The patient experience is different than in the past. Visits are by appointment only. Patients receive a pre-visit screening upon scheduling and are screened again upon arrival. A member of the UAB Dental Group staff now welcomes each patient in our new screening area on the first floor and accompanies them directly to their treatment room.

Patients must wear a mask at all times except during the dental procedure. Masks will be provided to patients arriving without them.

The number of patients has been reduced and, in the event they must be used, waiting areas have been rearranged to accommodate proper social distancing. Stringent measures of disinfection are applied to all surfaces and equipment in dental operatories prior to and after each patient visit. Non-aerosol-generating and aerosol mitigation approaches are used for all dental procedures to ensure the safety of patients and team members.

Our dentists and staff look different too. The clinical team will remain in their personal protective equipment (PPE), which now includes N-95 respirators or level 3 surgical masks, isolation gowns, face shields and gloves, during the entire patient visit. All UAB Dental Group team members are screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms.

The practice has implemented these and other safety protocols based on recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Dental Association (ADA), and the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners, as well as guidance from UAB experts.

Patients are encouraged to contact the UAB Dental Group at 205-934-2340 for more information and to schedule an appointment.