We’re living in a unique and, to be honest, confusing time. The “novel” in novel coronavirus literally means “new” – it’s something we’ve never encountered before. It took months, it seems, for virologists and other experts to figure out even the most basic things, such as how the virus is spread.
At the same time, the “rules” have continued to change from week to week. Travel has always been discouraged for obvious reasons as we move from lockdown to partial opening and back to to lockdown.
What we do know now is that COVID-19 spreads from an infected person to others through respiratory droplets created when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, shouts, or talks. These droplets vary in size from large droplets that fall to the ground rapidly (within seconds or minutes) near the infected person, to smaller droplets (or “aerosols”), which can linger in the air under some circumstances.
Another thing we know is that dental health is a signifcant part of overall health. It’s commonly accepted wisdom today that periodontal or “gum” disease (one of the most common human diseases), if left untreated can increase the likelihood of a variety of serious cardiovascular conditions and other health complications.
Understandably, this leaves many people in a quandary. Visiting any space which other people may frequent is now a choice. At the same time, regular professional care is essential in terms of maintaining optimal oral health. Our job as health care providers is to ensure that we can provide an environment that is as safe as possible so that our patients can enjoy uninterrupted access to the professional care they need.
Every office will have their own protocol. As an example, the following are the precautions we’ve put in place:
Apart from the standard protective measures one would expect, we have installed the most advanced air purification system available throughout our office. This technology creates an environment of surgically clean air – the same found in operating rooms and laboratories.
In addition to surgically clean air, these are the improvements and procedures that are in place at our own practice:
- All patients will be pre-screened prior to their appointments and once more upon arrival (including contact-free temperature check).
- Patients will be asked to sanitize their hands and wear gloves and a mask until they are seated in the treatment room. Santizer, gloves and masks will be provided. In addition, hand hygiene stations are located throughout the office.
- Appointment times will be staggered and patient check-outs expedited to minimize the number of people in the office at any given time and maintain physical distancing.
- Plexiglass barriers have been installed in the waiting area to prevent any unnecessary contact with support team members.
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