Most everyone is wearing masks now. Dental office personnel have been wearing masks on a daily basis for very many years. However, many things have changed in the way dental offices are operating since re-opening during this pandemic. Infection control has always been routine in most dental practices. Covid-19 has now elevated infection control standards to a whole new level.
The guidelines for practising dentistry safely has been outlined by the CDC and the American Dental Association. So that patients and office personnel are kept safe, these are the new protocols all dental offices should be doing. Walking into the front door of your dental office may not me be allowed anymore. Once you arrive at the office, you may have to call the office and tell them you have arrived. Someone from the office may meet you at your car to ask some health questions and take your temperature. If you are cleared, you may enter the office. Everyone in the office should be wearing masks. You should wear a mask until you are in a treatment room. Dental office workers may be wearing gowns, long sleeved lab coats, and face-shields as well. A limited number of patients may be allowed in the office at one time. Additional persons or family members may be asked to wait outside.
Treatment rooms may be isolated with some type of barrier and have extra air purification systems. The dentist or hygienist may use an extra oral suction device while working in your mouth to keep the air clean from aerosol spray. As always, all surfaces are wiped down and disinfected. All instruments are sterilized. All these measures as designed to create a clean environment and to prevent cross contamination.
Can I put off my dental appointment until after the COVID-19 pandemic is over?
Regular dental appointments are an important part of taking care of your overall health. While it can be tempting to put off your regular checkup until things feel more “normal” again, we advise against it. Routine appointments give me an opportunity to check for a number of health conditions and catch them early. Some conditions, like tooth decay, can be more difficult, painful and expensive to treat if they’re left undetected. Your health and safety is, and has always been, a top priority. Dentists and staff are taking every precaution to limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission at your visit.
How is the dental team monitoring themselves for COVID-19?
Staff at a practice should be subject to daily health screenings. This includes taking their temperatures to make sure they don’t have a fever and asking them a series of health-related questions each day to make sure they’re not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.
You said you cannot see me as a patient because of my COVID-19 risk. Can you do that?
Yes. The safety of patients and the dental team is the highest priority. As Dentists, we use our professional judgment and guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ADA to determine risk levels for seeing patients. If it was determined that you are high risk, or had a high temperature on the day of your appointment, a discussion about which factors may determine a delay of service, so that you can self-monitor and reschedule.
Is it Safe to Visit the Dentist?
Because of all the measures being done in dental offices to insure the safety of patients and staff, the dentist is probably one the safest places you can visit now. A study done by MIT, and reported by Fast Company, has concluded that visiting a dental office is one of the safest businesses to which you can go.
Dr. Craig Aebli, DDS, MS, FAGD has been treating patients safely for more than 25 years. Oakport Dental, 2421 S. Maple Ave, Sanford, FL 32771, (407)323-5340, www.oakportdental.com
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