Dental Safety & COVID-19: How Your Dentist Is Preparing For Your Visit

When you scheduled your bi-yearly visit over six months ago, the world was a very different place. Back then, there weren’t social distancing guidelines, stay-at-home-orders, and face coverings to consider. While it is of the utmost importance that we each do our part in limiting the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it is also crucial that you get the dental care you need to keep your oral health in tip-top shape. Fortunately, your safety is your dentist’s top priority, and they are implementing extensive measures to provide you a protected environment for your checkup and cleaning. Read on for four ways your dentist is preparing for your appointment during a pandemic.

Social Distancing Guidelines

Although new information is surfacing weekly on the intricacies of this novel virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have continued to reinforce the importance of social distancing. Therefore, shopping malls, banks, and even your dentist’s office are re-designing their daily operations to make maintaining a 6-foot distance a practical reality. Therefore, your dentist will be:

• Opting for minimal to no-contact greetings (i.e., waving, an air-high five, etc.).
• Implementing virtual waiting rooms that allow you to check-in from your phone and sit in your car until your appointment time.
• Introducing sequenced patient scheduling to provide ample cleaning time.
• Placing one-way traffic signs to effectively funnel foot traffic throughout the office.

Significant Sanitation Measures

Your dentist and their team practiced thorough infection control procedures long before 2020. However, considering the current pandemic, they are taking these already high standards to the next level by:

• Asking patients to rinse with an anti-microbial mouthwash before their appointment.
• Requiring each member of the staff to change out of their work clothes at work.
• Placing hospital-grade hand sanitizing stations throughout their practice.
• Cleaning after each appointment.
• Conducting a deep cleaning every evening.
• Using CDC-approved instrument sterilization.

Advanced Staff Training

Pandemic or not, your dental team is dedicated to creating a sterile environment that is free from cross-contamination. Nevertheless, they are enhancing their knowledge and preparedness by offering additional training for the entire staff to ensure their practice remains safe. Plus, they will be assigning a designated safety champion each day to answer questions from patients, ensure safety guidelines are being followed, and monitor the overall daily operations.

Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Although wearing a face covering and gloves may be a new part of your routine, your dental team has been using personal protective equipment for years. However, the CDC and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) are recommending that dentists use additional PPE in light of the current pandemic. Therefore, don’t be alarmed if you see your dentist covered from head to toe in a face shield, disposable coat, and shoe coverings!

Although stay-at-home orders are being lifted and the “new normal” has begun, your dentist is continuing to be vigilant in the fight against COVID-19. Therefore, they are dedicating time, skill, and resources to ensure your safety at your upcoming visit. That way, you can have peace-of-mind while getting the dental care you need!

About the Author

Dr. Terry F. Rakowsky earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State before achieving his dental doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Since then, he has completed continuing education at the prestigious Dawson Academy and is a proud member of the American Dental Association. Today, Dr. Rakowsky uses his 35 years of hands-on experience, impressive training, and passion for dentistry to provide his patients with healthy, beautiful smiles. If you would like additional information on how he is using his expertise to keep his patients safe during COVID-19, don’t hesitate to visit his website or give him a call at 215-348-2224.