For Further Information Contact:
Reginald Fields
FieldsR@nadentalgroup.com
614-537-7943
Pittsburgh, PA (August 13, 2020) – North American Dental Group (NADG), a leading dental service
organization, strongly disagrees with the recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) to
delay routine dental care due to the COVID-19 virus.
“Dentists across the country have been treating patients for months. There is no evidence that routine
dental care has contributed to the spread of this virus,” said NADG co-founder and chief medical officer,
Dr. Andrew Matta. “In fact, dentists across the NADG network have put in place exhaustive new safety
procedures, including head-to-toe personal protective equipment for staff and thorough sanitizing of
evaluation rooms for patients, to ensure a safe environment that minimizes the risk for everyone.”
Furthermore, Dr. Matta said urging patients to delay routine oral care could lead to deteriorating dental
complications that may also impact a person’s overall health.
“Routine care is often preventive care and it is extremely important in helping to avoid oral infections and
diseases, which could impact a person’s quality of life,” said Dr. Matta, a practicing dentist. “This
pandemic has proven that it is time for dentistry to be recognized as a form of essential health care.”
In July, NADG commissioned a national survey in which 60-percent of respondents said they were
comfortable visiting a dentist for a routine cleaning or check-up, more than double the percentage from a
similar NADG survey conducted in April. In that same July survey, 64-percent of respondents said they
believe their dentist knows how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which was up from 42-percent in the
April survey.
“We have not taken lightly the immense importance of bolstering our safety and cleaning procedures at
all of our dental practices across a dozen states. Our dentists and teammates are comfortable coming to
work, and patients have noticed our sincere steps to ensure they get the care they need in the safest
environment possible,” said Dr. Matta. “We’ve implemented these additional safety measures to ensure
that our patients feel confident and comfortable coming into our offices. No one should be placed in a
position in which they are encouraged or forced to delay the oral care they need.”
From the onset of the pandemic, NADG, led by its advisory board of doctor partners known as the
Professional Dental Alliance (PDA), has been a dental industry leader in response to COVID-19. NADG
established advanced infection control procedures and diagnostic screenings upon reopening practices in
May and June after the pandemic forced dental office shutdowns.
NADG has also spearheaded an effort to expand the scope of services for dentists to administer
COVID-19 tests and help the nation increase testing capacity. By assisting with testing initiatives, dentists
can represent another access point for patients who need medical attention, while helping to reduce the
stress on overburdened hospitals during this crisis.
“It is safe to visit your dentist,” Dr. Matta said. “Because of our commitment to safety and best-in-class
care, many of our patients are making appointments to ensure they receive proper oral care, even during
this pandemic. Dental care is essential care. We must make sure patients retain the option to get the oral
care they want and need.”
About North American Dental Group
North American Dental Group (NADG), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was cofounded by Ken
Cooper and Dr. Andrew Matta in 2008. NADG was created to transform the dental experience for its
patients, clinicians, and its support teams and today consists of a network of over 230 dental practices in
15 states. The values of maintaining an emotionally intelligent approach, being thoughtful educators, and
displaying a healthy bravado fuel our day-to-day patient care and operations. These founding values are
alive and well as NADG celebrates its pioneer spirit by solidifying its partnership with Jacobs Holding
AG.