AAO: Elective vs. Non-Elective Procedures
As many doctors are shutting down their offices to elective procedures, AAO members have requested specific guidelines for what constitutes elective vs. non-elective procedures. It is important for individual practices to use their best judgment when determining what procedures to continue.
As a general guideline, non-elective procedures, including those considered to be orthodontic emergencies, are defined as remedying one or more of the following:
• Significant oral pain (Please note that many patient “emergencies” can be managed by wax or sectioning an archwire with cuticle cutters/nail clippers.)
• Infection
• Limited function
• Physically traumatic event yielding the above