If you are over the age of 65 and/or have an underlying medical condition, you are considered to be most at-risk for COVID-19. If you’ve been abiding by the recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and state officials, you’re likely finding yourself indoors more often these days and donning a face mask when you need to venture outside the house. Because your immune system may be weaker than other individuals, you may be wondering what you should do when it’s time to receive necessary dental care. After all, you don’t want your oral health to deteriorate, but you also want to remain safe, so what can do you? To feel more at ease about the idea of going to the dentist’s office, allow a dentist in Castle Rock to address 5 of the most common concerns among at-risk patients.
How Can I Decrease My Odds of Contracting COVID-19?
There are four things you should do to diminish the possibility of contracting COVID-19:
- Stay at home as much as possible
- Wear a face mask should you need to leave the house for basic necessities
- When leaving the house, avoid places that attract large crowds.
- Practice proper social distancing (staying 6” apart) when in public.
If you follow these steps, you will minimize your risk of becoming sick and help to “flatten the curve” of infections in our community.
What If I Need to See a Dentist Amid the Pandemic?
Although no dentist wants you to forgo necessary dental care, they do want you to be safe. If it is possible to postpone your checkup and cleaning or elective treatment, your dentist may suggest that you do so. However, if you cannot put off your visit any longer and need assistance, you may first want to check and see if your dentist is offering teledentistry services. If not, know that your dental team is working overtime to ensure you enter into an office that is abiding by multiple safety protocols to keep their office and staff free of harmful bacteria and viruses, focusing on COVID-19 at this time.
But How Do I Know if the Office is Truly Safe?
Individuals with weakened immune systems understandably do not want to take the risk of going somewhere that could potentially cause them to become ill. Fortunately, a dentist’s office is one of the cleanest places you can visit right now. Dental teams have been obligated for many years to adhere to strict sanitation guidelines concerning disinfecting rooms and sterilizing equipment and instruments. Now, in this period of worldwide pandemic, the efforts of the dental team are increasing when it comes to avoiding the possibility of patients being exposed to COVID-19.
In fact, they are instructed to follow the manufacturing guidelines to properly sanitize reusable items as well as follow rules recommended by the CDC, American Dental Association (ADA), and the Occupational Safety & Hazard Administration (OSHA) for cleaning, social distancing, and the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
What Precautions Are Taken to Ensure the Health of Staff?
Daily temperature checks and screenings are performed daily on dental team members. This not only ensures that no one is arriving to work sick or displaying symptoms associated with COVID-19, but it also minimizes any potentially harmful bacteria or viruses from being dispersed through the office and onto patients. This is also being accomplished by requiring staff to change into and out of their work attire at the office.
Will There Be Other Patients There During My Visit?
Temperature checks and screenings are performed on patients as they enter, one at a time, into the dental office. While you might see one or two other patients, the staff is implementing a spaced-out scheduling process that allows for more time between visitors and very robust social distancing. It also gives dental team members a chance to more thoroughly clean and disinfect the treatment room before a new client arrives. By reducing the number of people in the office at one time, the risk of contamination and infection is minimized and patients can be provided with more personalized dental care.
When in need of immediate dental care, trust that your team is preparing in the most effective way. Your health and safety are of the utmost priority, and it is evident by the steps they’re taking to help everyone through this current crisis.
About the Author
Dr. L. Blaine Kennington graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill before serving as a dentist in the United States Air Force. Moving to Castle Rock in 2002, he opened his own practice and has been helping the city’s residents ever since. He and the team at Cowlitz River Dental want all patients to feel safe and secure while visiting their office, which is why he encourages anyone in need of dental care to visit the website or call (360) 274-9100 to learn what safety protocols are in place to keep everyone better protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.