Is it safe to go to the Dentist during COVID?
The answer is YES…but only if your dentist has made the appropriate changes and updates to keep you safe. By now, 6 months into the global COVID pandemic, supply chains have been mostly reinstated, and there should be an adequate supply of PPE available, albeit at a much higher cost than previously. But that is just once piece of the pie. Here are the changes you should be seeing at your dental office to make sure your next visit to the dentist is safe.
Updated COVID Dental Appointment Check-in:
When making an appointment, you’ll be asked a few questions about your general health. Then when you arrive, depending on the office, you’ll be asked to wait in your car until the previous patient has left and the waiting room has been fully sanitized. This includes all high touch points like door handles, countertops, pens, clipboards and seats.
Upon entering the office, you’ll be asked to immediately use hand sanitizer to disinfect your hands. If you’re not wearing your own mask, then you should be offered a complimentary mask to wear during your time at the office. The front desk staff should be wearing masks and gloves as well.
Next, your temperature will be taken with a touchless thermometer and you will be asked to fill out a COVID health questionnaire. You should be the only person in the waiting room, unless you have a family member accompanying you. You also should not see any magazines or books for reading anywhere.
Things to Look for: Hand Sanitizer, Complimentary Mask, Touchless Thermometer, Covid Health Questionnaire, No Magazines
Entering the Treatment Room & Updated COVID Pre-treatment Protocol:
When you leave the waiting room you should be escorted to the treatment room and not pass by any other patients. Once in the room, the door should be fully closed and you will be seated. You will be asked a series of COVID related healthcare questions once again. A pulse oximeter should be used on your index finger to measure your oxygen levels and heart rate.
Then you’ll remove your mask and do 1-2 pre-procedural rinses. In our office we have always done a 30 second rinse with a prescription anti-microbial rinse. We have now added an additional hydrogen peroxide rinse that lasts 1 minute and you should spit that back into the cup. These rinses are done specifically to further decrease the viral load in your mouth thereby decreasing the risk of any cross contamination.
Things to Look for: No other Patients Around, Pulse Oximeter use, Pre-Procedural Rinse, Spitting back into a Cup
Updated COVID PPE During Dental Treatment:
Once seated, it might be difficult to the see the smiling faces of the dentist and staff taking care of your smile, but it is necessary since the advent of COVID. All staff in the treatment room should be wearing a full gown, gloves, goggles or loupes, N95 respirator or higher, face shield, bouffant/surgical cap and booties. You’ll probably have trouble understanding them when they talk to you, but it is for everyone’s safety that they wear all the heavy gear. Also – the room will probably be very chilly due to the added gear, so you might want to ask for a blanket, or bring along a sweater.
Things to Look for: PPE- Full Gowns, Face Shields, N95 Respirators, Goggles, Gloves, Surgical/Bouffant Caps, Booties
Updated COVID Dental Equipment:
You might see a huge tube hanging out next to the dental chair. This is an extraoral suction unit and is used during any procedure that can generate an aerosol, like drilling out a cavity. This machine is a super strong suction and sounds like a loud vacuum. The device is brought up close to your face and is used in addition to the 2 types of suction the assistant already uses in your mouth to reduce the amount of aerosol that is generated. All the virus filled particles are sucked up and go through a HEPA filtration system and UVC light that will kill all viruses, including COVID.
Things to Look for: Large Vacuum Funnel
Updated Covid Infection Control Protocol:
You may not necessarily see fogging with CDC approved disinfectants, but it should be done. Just ask to see if they are doing it at your dental office.
At our office we use Hypochlorous Acid in humidifiers that constantly fog and thereby continually disinfect the air all throughout the office. You might smell a faint chlorine smell, but it is usually described as “smelling like a super clean spa” by our patients at Presidential Dental Center.
You should also see air purifiers with HEPA filters in every room throughout the office. This will ensure that only clean air is circulating in all areas and will protect all staff and patients alike.
Also, all things should be covered with disposable plastic covers. Everything from the keyboard, computer screen and mouse to the entire dental chair, pillows, suction tips and air/water syringes. These are single use and are thrown out after each and every patient.
Things to Look for: Tons of Plastic Covers, Hepa Air Purifiers, Foggers, Faint Chlorine Scent
So Is Your Dental Office Safe?
In summary, the Covid pandemic has changed the way we practice dentistry forever, in my opinion. I know our patients say they feel safer coming to our office for dental care than going shopping at the grocery store.
As a niche dental practice, we are able to fully control all aspects of your dental treatment experience thus ensuring the safest environment possible. We take great pride in all of the updates we have made for our patients’ safety – and we know how much they appreciate it!
If you don’t see the changes listed above at your dentist’s office – then the answer to the original question just might be NO!
If you feel it is not safe to go to your dentist during COVID, then give us a call at Presidential Dental Center at 561.686.8580 to schedule an appointment with us!
Toot-a-loo,
Melisande J. Wolff, DMD, FAGD