In this time of social distancing due to COVID-19, we’re all navigating how the services and procedures we need to stay happy and healthy are responding to the pandemic. For something like a grocery store, we’ve all settled into a routine of comfort, no longer nervous about going into the store like we were back in March or April. However, some businesses are a lot more intimate, and dentistry is one of the clearest examples of this. Social distancing and dentistry is a difficult combination, so that begs the question: is visiting the dentist safe during COVID?

To clear up the suspense, the answer is yes, as long as your dentist is following a COVID-safe routine. In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at the risks involved, and how dentistry practices are mitigating them.

What are the risks of visiting a dentist?

The risks of visiting the dentist during coronavirus are only risks if you or your dentist is being irresponsible in regards to the public health practices. Obviously, your dentist, dental assistants and dental hygienists have to be in close contact with you, but since this has always been the case, dentists already have strong infection control procedures in place.
For instance, here at Plancich Dental, we already follow infection control recommendations made by the:

  • American Dental Association (ADA)
  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA)

While coronavirus may be a more contagious virus than we’ve ever dealt with, the risks of your dentist visit aren’t particularly high. As long as the dentist you visit is following public health protocols, screening out sick employees, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) during your appointment (like face masks or face shields), then they are following healthcare best practices.

What Plancich Dental is doing to keep patients safe

Here at Plancich Dental, we’ve got a number of safety measures in place to ensure your dental care is as safe as possible.

  • We ask all patients screening questions when you book an appointment, and once in the office to check for COVID-19 symptoms
  • All patients are provided hand sanitizer upon entering the waiting room, and throughout the dental office as needed
  • We’ve removed magazines and children’s toys from our waiting room, as these are difficult to clean and disinfect.
  • Appointments accommodate social distancing requirements between patients, meaning less appointments throughout the day, for sufficient cleaning time
  • We have upgraded our HVAC Filtration system and added Air Purification throughout the office
  • We are removing more aerosols from the mouth
  • We screen patients and staff daily for COVID-19 symptoms and take temperatures

COVID-19 is serious, but it’s not slowing down our commitment to our patients and their dental health. We’re being more vigilant than ever in the face of this public health outbreak, but we’re confident in our ability to keep you safe during your appointment.

What dental procedures are most important to go in for?

We can’t let the pandemic affect other aspects of our healthcare or our oral health, or else we’ll be playing whack-a-mole with ailments and conditions. That means prioritizing the procedures that most urgently affect people’s health over elective procedures. Root canals, sleep apnea issues, and oral cancer screenings, along with regular cleanings and cavity fillings, are vital to a healthy mouth.

While the dental team at Plancich is always attempting to bring out the healthiest, most brilliant smiles we can from our clients, like other cosmetic surgeries, cosmetic dentistry might have to be put on the back burner for a moment. Less appointment slots mean that we’re trying to fit as many dental health issues into our schedule as possible. If you can make the sacrifice of putting off your teeth bleaching or adult braces until after the pandemic, you’re playing your part in helping everyone maintain their health. Once the world goes back to normal, we’ll be ready and waiting to give you the whitest, most fulfilling smile we can!

If you need dental health assistance today, or want us to relieve you of any concerns around dentistry during the pandemic, contact the team at Plancich Dental today!