There has been, and continues to be, a lot of uncertainty since the outbreak of Coronavirus, or COVID-19. In the last few weeks everything has changed. Nonessential businesses have closed, social distancing has been put into place, and many seemingly normal things such as dental checkups have been placed on the backburner.
Most people and businesses are concerned about the spread of the virus. Afterall, nonessential businesses are closed and restaurants are offering contact-free delivery services to avoid spreading and contracting the Coronavirus.
So, what does this mean for dentistry?
By nature of the job, dental professionals are close to their patients everyday. Their chances of catching a cold or other illness are high since they are working on their patient’s mouths with little barriers between them aside from a face mask and gloves.
Coronavirus is not a common cold, though. This highly contagious virus is spreading rapidly and no one knows for sure when the pandemic will end. Does this mean you should hold off on dental checkups or procedures? Is the dental industry prepared to handle this?
As it turns out, dentists are managing health risks on a daily basis. This is a very normal part of their practice. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have guidelines that are updated regularly regarding infectious diseases since its inception. It is standard for dental professionals to treat every patient as though they are infected with one of the many infectious diseases in existence.
As a result of this, dental professionals not only use gloves and face masks, but they also wear long sleeves, often sanitize their clothes on site, and have extensive cleaning measures in place for all instruments and exam rooms. Their instruments are sanitized with an autoclave, a high pressure steam oven that kills infectious organisms.
While these measures protect the dental health workers in the office, they are also meant to protect their patients from contracting an infectious disease. These include HIV, hepatitis, herpes, and tuberculosis. So, dental professionals are more than prepared to prevent their patients from contracting Coronavirus in their offices.
As with the flu and other communicable diseases, dental professionals encourage patients who have symptoms of Coronavirus to stay home. For those patients who are not experiencing symptoms, the ADA, or American Dental Association, have put certain protocols in place so that dental professionals can ensure that they are doing all they can to guard themselves, their staff, and other patients from being exposed to Coronavirus in the office.
These precautions include:
- Cleaning and disinfecting all public areas frequently
- Having patients rinse with a 1 % hydrogen peroxide solution before their appointment
- Screening patients for signs of the virus and recent travel history
- Taking patients’ temperatures before performing dental procedures
- Ensuring that the are using the proper personal protective equipment
- Cleaning instruments in the autoclave after each visit
It has been found that Coronaviruses are easily killed with the proper disinfectant product. Because of this, Miracle Smile Dentistry is making sure to follow recommendations to ensure that our offices, staff, and patients are free from the virus.
Since cosmetic dentistry is not considered an essential service, our dental practice is currently only open to emergency cases. Miracle Smile is here for our clients in Coral Gables and Plantation, Florida in the event of dental pain or damage to the structure of your teeth.
If you are interested in learning more or are experiencing an emergency dental issue and would like to make an appointment, call our office today. You can also reach us via Facebook Messenger, we’re standing by as your go-to emergency dentist.