The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance for Dental Settings: Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response was updated June 17, 2020. Recent changes include:

• The CDC removed the recommendation to wait 15 minutes after completion of clinical care and exit of each patient to begin the disinfection of room surfaces. This recommendation better aligns with the CDC document Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings.
• The recommendation that patients inform the dental clinic if symptoms emerge or if diagnosed with COVID-19 following a dental appointment has been changed to two days to align with CDC’s Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Work Restrictions for Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure to COVID-19.
• Clarifying language has been added to Engineering Controls.

COVID-19 may permanently change infection control practices in dental health care settings. The CDC continues to assess emerging scientific evidence for developing policies, guidelines and recommendations. AGD members can find the most up-to-date information about infection prevention and control practices on the CDC’s COVID-19 page. Other information is available at agd.org/coronavirus.