If the coronavirus is spread by breathing without a mask in the vicinity of others, one might think that it is a risky proposition for you to sit for hours with one’s agape while a hygienist fiddles right next to you. Unlike other health care visits, dentistry has to take the removal of a mask for a long time. This causes many Americans to delay or avoid dental care, for fear of transmission.
But do not postpone your visit to your dentist yet Dentists and healthcare experts say that a visit to the dentist’s office, despite what may occur, is actually a sign of the safety of pandemics.
“It’s very safe to go to the dentist, and it’s been really safe since dental offices reopened in May,” says Dr. Kami Hoss, DDS, who sits on the board at UCLA School of Dentistry and is the CEO of The Super. Dentists in California. “Dentists are contagion experts.”
Dr Hoss said dentists have been hyper-aware for decades of transmitting diseases and how they can avoid them. “It goes back to the 1980s, when I went to dental school when we had to deal with the HIV Aids crisis,” Hoss said. “Since then, we have implemented many processes, technologies and protocols to make sure we keep our patients, employees and doctors safe.”
Despite being considered a ‘high-risk’ profession, in part because of the closeness between dentists and patients, a report published by The Journal of the American Dental Association (ADA) found that less than one percent of the 2,200 dentists surveyed last June, COVID-19. Industry professionals believe that the low rate is the result of the industry adding an extra layer of protection to their already strict sanitation standards.
Dr Matt Messina, an ADA spokesperson, told Salon by telephone between the patients that it was “absolutely” safe to go to the dentist now. He noted that the ADA had no dentist for the transfer of patients, and that the fact that less than 1 percent of the dentists surveyed in June contracted COVID-19 means that the industry’s a pretty amazing record ” has.
“And it’s dentists who came down with COVID, and it’s from any source,” Dr Messina said of the statistics.
But of course, like most everything, it now looks different than going to the dentist than pre-pandemic. You do not get coffee or tea in the waiting room, or probably any free time to read magazines before having your teeth cleaned, as before. Some offices have omitted the waiting room altogether and prefer that patients wait in their car for a call when they are ready to be seen. And before your appointment, you can expect to be virtually screened for possible exposure to COVID-19 and any possible symptoms – such as dr. Hoss in California do.
“We have implemented a thorough screening of the phone which is done through all the questions. If you have a fever, and if you were COVID, we start from there,” said dr. Hoss said. “We only let healthy people in; that examination includes patients, but it also includes our staff and our doctors every morning before they are allowed to enter the office.”
In addition to pre-screening, dentists will also look a little more protected.
“Most patients see, perhaps the addition of facial fields, more of a barrier type, we look more surgical than in the past,” Dr Messina said. “Dental offices use gowns, glasses, face shields, masks, even from scratch, so fortunately the average patient will not see much difference.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) have called for a complete measure for the dental industry. The federal agency also recommends that dental offices prioritize dental services and general care based on the available personal protective equipment and how many COVID-19 cases are in your local community. The risk of COVID-19 transmission is often weighed against the risk of not having to take care of your oral health, which both dentists emphasize very important for Salon.
“It is absolutely essential to take care of your oral health, especially during a health pandemic,” said Dr. Hoss said. “Why? Because general health starts in your mouth, oral health affects every part of our health, including the health of pregnancy – it’s linked to many systemic diseases, including lung health.” Indeed, the coronavirus can become deadly if it infects enough cells in the lungs.
But what about the metal tools that go into your mouth during cleaning – the ones that are usually in your mouth? Dr. Hoss said many more “disposable items” are used, but those “metal pieces” are sterilized just like before. And this is because the coronavirus is actually pretty easy to kill (hence the great emphasis on public health on washing hands and worksheets).
“This particular virus is even very sensitive to soap,” said Dr. Hoss said. “For our sterilization process, there do not have to be any dramatic changes. So yes, we use as many more disposable items as possible, but all we can, and we have to use them between patients, they are completely sterilized and completely cleaned. and it is completely safe to use between patients. ‘