Dental offices are among the next wave of businesses closing or limiting services because of coronavirus concerns.

The Washington State Department of Health released a notice Tuesday requesting dental practices prioritize seeing patients with dental emergencies and postpone non-essential procedures to minimize potential transmission of COVID-19, and reduce limitations for availability of personal protective equipment in hospitals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release further guidance for responding to COVID-19 in dental settings, according to the notice.

Sleep Dentistry of Spokane is among several local practices rescheduling elective procedures and closing temporarily, except patients requiring care on an emergency basis, said Irina Avakimian, nurse manager.

“We are taking it day-by-day for now. As a precautionary measure, we scheduled a two-week closure,” said Avakimian, adding the practice will reassess the situation when more information is received from the state department of health. “We are trying to stay positive and hopefully things will improve, but for now, we are concentrating on emergency procedures and we are taking all necessary precautions as directed by the CDC.”

The closure will reduce work for more than 10 full-time Sleep Dentistry employees, some of whom will remain on standby to assist with dental procedures, Avakimian said, adding affected employees will continue to receive medical benefits.

Sleep Dentistry is screening patients to ensure they are healthy and don’t have a fever, cough or shortness of breath before undergoing dental procedures.

Elsewhere, Hi 5 Orthodontics is remaining open but taking additional precautions to limit potential spread of COVID-19, according to an email sent to patients Wednesday.

“To support the Governor’s desire for greater ‘social distancing’ we have limited reception room amenities. We ask that you try to limit non-patient family members to one guardian/ride per patient,” the email said. “Similarly, you are welcome to call when you arrive for check-in directly from your car, and during the appointment you might want to stay in the car or walk around the neighborhood.”

In its email, Hi 5 Orthodontics said it also adheres to CDC guidelines to prevent contamination and encourages patients with cough, fever or flu-like symptoms to reschedule their appointments.