Is it okay to go to the dentist?

If the coronavirus spreads by breathing unmasked near others, sitting for hours with your mouth open while the hygienist is messing around with you is like a dangerous suggestion. You might think. Indeed, unlike other health care visits, dentistry requires long-term unmasking. To that end, many Americans delay or avoid dental treatment for fear of infection.

But don’t delay your dentist’s visit yet. Dentists and healthcare professionals say that a dentist’s office visit is actually a pandemic safety paragon, despite what it might look like.

“It’s very safe to go to the dentist. It’s really safe since the dental office reopened in May,” said Dr. Kamihos of DDS, director of the UCLA School of Dentistry and super CEO. California dentist. “Dentists are specialists in infection control.”

Dr. Hoss said that dentists have been very aware of the transmission of the disease and how to avoid it for decades. “This goes back to the 1980s when I was in dental school when I had to deal with the HIV AIDS crisis,” Hoss said. “Since then, we have implemented many processes, technologies and protocols to ensure the safety of patients, employees and doctors.”

Despite being considered a “risk” profession, some are in close proximity to the dentist and the patient. Journal of American Dental Association (ADA) found that less than 1 percent of the 2,200 dentists surveyed last June were infected with COVID-19. Industry experts believe that the low rate is the result of the industry already adding a layer of protection to strict hygiene standards.

Dr. Matt Messina, an ADA spokesman, called the salon, that is, among patients, said it was “absolutely” safe to go to the dentist right now. He said the industry was “quite surprising” that no dentist was aware of ADA infections to patients and that less than 1% of dentists surveyed in June were infected with COVID-19. He said it meant having a “record”.

“And it’s the dentist who came up with COVID, which includes those from all sources,” Dr. Messina said of the statistics.

But of course, like almost everything else, going to the dentist now looks a little different than it was before the pandemic. You don’t have time to drink coffee or tea in the waiting room or read a magazine before cleaning your teeth like you used to. Some offices choose to omit the waiting room altogether and instead wait in the car for a call when the patient is ready to be seen. You can also expect to virtually screen for possible exposure to COVID-19 and potential symptoms, as Dr. Hoss does in California, before booking.

“We did a thorough phone screening to answer all the questions. If you have a fever, if you’re around COVID, start there,” said Dr. Hoss. “We only include healthy people. The screening includes patients, but every morning before entering the office, it also includes staff and doctors.”

In addition to pre-screening, the dentist also appears to be a little more protected.

“Most patients will probably see more facial fields, lots of barrier gown-type placements, we will see hair more surgically than before,” said Dr. Messina. “Fortunately, the average patient will not notice a big difference, as dental clinics have long used gowns, goggles, face shields and masks.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Describes thorough measures For the dental industry to follow. Federal agencies also advise dental clinics to prioritize dental services and overall care based on the personal protective equipment available and the number of COVID-19 cases in the community. The risk of COVID-19 infection is often weighed against the risk of not paying attention to oral health. This is what both dentists emphasized in the salon.

“We need to be aware of oral health, especially during a pandemic,” said Dr. Hoss. “Why? General health begins in your mouth, so oral health affects every part of our health, including pregnancy health-it’s a lot of systemic diseases, including lung health. In fact, coronavirus can be fatal if it infects enough cells in the lungs.

But what about metal tools that get into your mouth while cleaning? It’s usually something in someone’s mouth in front of you. Dr. Hoss said more “disposable items” are being used, but those “metal pieces” are still sterilized. And that’s because the coronavirus is really very easy to kill (hence a great public health focus on washing hands and countertops).

“This particular virus is actually very sensitive to soap,” said Dr. Hoss. “Our sterilization process does not require dramatic changes. Therefore, we use as many disposable items as possible, but if that is not possible and we need to use it between patients, it is complete. It is sterilized, thoroughly cleaned and completely safe for use between patients. “