Should You Visit Your Dentist During The Covid-19 Pandemic?

24th February 2021 | Category: Uncategorised

Should You Visit Your Dentist During The Covid-19 Pandemic?

New research links gum disease and COVID-19 suggesting the virus is more severe in the presence of inflammation caused by gum disease.

Microbes in the gums travel through the body and spread IL-6 protein, a harmful inflammatory immune response. Higher levels of IL-6 appears to increase the risk by 22 times for respiratory complications and a higher mortality rate.  Research shows that COVID patients with gum disease up to nine times more likely to die.

Therefore visiting your dentist for routine examinations and treatment has never been more important than it is today. However, visiting a dentist can be daunting for some people although dentistry has really changed recently with pain-free and minimally invasive procedures. The pandemic has been a worrying time for many people and has put many things on hold including visiting friends and family and getting routine health checks done.  Some people are concerned about visiting their dentist for routine dental examinations because they are unsure if it is safe to do so.  Here, we have outlined a few steps that dental practices have taken to make them a safe environment to continue your routine dental care.

Dental clinics have been busy preparing their practices for reopening after the initial lockdown in March 2020. Priority is given to patients with emergency problems or with other dental problems that require urgent assessment and treatment, patients with treatment that was not completed prior to lockdown, patients who were due for routine examinations and hygienist visits during the period of closure, and patients who are due orthodontic reviews. Although these situations are prioritised, all dental treatments are now being carried out including dental hygiene (scale and polish) appointments.

Cross infection control has always been a priority in dental clinics due to the nature of the work done. Most advanced dental practices have a dedicated decontamination room in which dental instruments are thoroughly cleaned, sterilised and inspected.

Before your appointment: prior to your dental appointment, a member of the dental team will be in contact with you to ask questions about your risk for having Covid-19. Patients with a Covid-19 symptoms, a positive Covid-19 test result or who have been in close contact with anyone who has Covid-19 are asked not to come in and to reschedule their appointment.

On entering the practice, you will have your temperature checked and have a final check for your Covid-19 risk level before moving through the clinic.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Whereas using PPE is new to many people and has taken some time to get used to, dental surgeons and dental nurses have always worn PPE for their job on a daily basis. Some clinics have controversially added a PPE charge, whereas others have always included this in their treatment fee’s so there is no change to the patient. More advanced PPE are being used by dental clinics to protect both patients and the dental team.

, Should You Visit Your Dentist During The Covid-19 Pandemic?

Guided dental implant surgery at The White Bridge Clinic, Kidlington

Waiting rooms: A lot of clinics have reduced the time that patients are present in the waiting room by asking patients to come in at exactly the right appointment time. Some dental clinics have generous parking spaces so that patients can wait in the comfort of their own car before being greeted by the receptionist.

Hand washing: Hand sanitisers are ready available in dental clinics and some clinics have added an extra protocol for hand washing before anyone enters the building.

Air filtration: Many dental clinics have now added air filtration systems which are used to exchange the air in a surgery with fresh air from outside in between patient appointments. Extra time called “Fallow time” is now compulsory for certain dental procedures and involves leaving the surgery empty and ventilated for a certain period of time before it is used again for the next appointment. This allows any particles in the air to settle and be replaced by fresh, clean air.

Cleaning: All dental surgeries are thoroughly cleaned before and after each dental appointment. This includes disinfecting all surfaces, the dental chair, the dental light, door handles and floors. Contamination control has always been an essential part of dental nurse training.

Fogging: Fogging uses an antiviral disinfectant solution (to BS EN 14476 standard) which cleans and sanitises large areas of a building quickly and effectively. It is a useful tool for extra peace of mind.

Mouthwash: There is growing evidence that the use of mouthwash can reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Dental clinics have been using mouthwash rinses before carrying out dental treatments to reduce any further risk of transmission.

With all of the above old and new measure in place to protect each other from the transmission of infectious diseases such as Covid-19, visiting a dental clinic is a safe environment. If you are concerned about the safety of visiting your dental practice, give them a call and ask what measures they have in place to protect patients and staff.

Regular dental check-ups can reduce future problems with gum disease, dental decay, and can help with the early detection of mouth cancers. Therefore, routine dental visits should be priorotised as part of your regular routine health checks.

Dr Tina Mohindra PhD. Medical Microbiology

The White Bridge Clinic, Kidlington

November 2020

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