Dentist Visits: Are They Safe During the Pandemic?

Back in March of 2020, COVID-19 officially reached pandemic proportions. People generally gave little thought to going out in public before this particular virus began to spread. After the onset of the pandemic, though, leaving the house became much more of an ordeal. Suddenly, life as we knew it was turned upside-down. Mingling in stores, doctors' offices, restaurants, schools, and other public places became a bit more frightening and dangerous. At this point, quite a few people need the reassurance of knowing they'll be safe from biological contaminants when they go out. 

Staying Safe While Fostering Your Dental Health

Contagions like coronavirus can be particularly concerning for those who are heading to the doctor's office. After all, people tend to visit doctors when they're sick, and being around sick people increases the risk of catching communicable illnesses. Even visiting the ophthalmologist can be somewhat disconcerting in the age of COVID. Many find the dentist's office to be especially unnerving as the pandemic drones on. Rest assured, though, the Best Family Dentists in the area are taking the matter seriously. They're implementing numerous measures to keep their patients and staff members safe from the clear and present dangers. 

Following Social Distancing Protocol

Social distancing has become the word of the day since the pandemic took hold. Dental offices are taking this to heart. They're keeping patients at least six feet apart at all times whether they're in line at reception or waiting for their treatments. They're also limiting the number of people allowed in their waiting rooms. Many practitioners only allow one patient at a time in the waiting areas, and they're turning away anyone accompanying patients. In some cases, they're requiring patients to wait in their vehicles until they're called in for treatments. 

Personal Protective Equipment

It's important to keep in mind that maintaining six feet of distance between medical personnel and patients isn't always possible. This is especially true when providing dental care. At the same time, patients can't exactly wear masks during dental treatments. Having said that, dental staff members can still take measures to protect themselves and their patients while in close proximity. They're wearing masks, face shields, gloves, and other types of personal protective equipment while caring for patients, and they change their PPE between patients to further prevent the spread of germs. 

Disinfection and Sanitization

Local dentists are also taking numerous steps to keep their offices and exam rooms free of pathogens. In fact, they've been going above and beyond to prevent the spread of germs since long before the pandemic arose. This is essential considering their services revolve around patients' mouths where so many germs lurk.

Dental offices follow various protocols set forth by the American Dental Association as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These include, but aren't limited to, sterilizing items used for treatment, dental chairs, and other equipment between patients; using hospital-grade disinfectants to clean their offices and exam rooms, and installing HEPA filters to eliminate airborne contaminants. 

Safeguarding Patients from Every Angle

Dental treatments are essential for maintaining oral health. Still, many people fear they may be sacrificing their overall health by visiting the dentist. Few things could be further from the truth, though. Dental offices follow strict sanitization protocols, use various types of personal protective equipment, and keep social distancing guidelines in place. Those are only a few of the in-depth measures they're taking to keep patients safe and healthy during the pandemic.