Ensuring Patient Safety in Dental Clinic During COVID-19

The spread of coronavirus has impacted all businesses. However, dentistry is one of the industries that have been most severely hit. Although clinics in every state have begun to open up, they’re still not at full capacity and won’t be for the foreseeable future.

However, dental examinations are essential, especially for people with pre-existing conditions. So, how do you safely visit your dentists? Let’s examine this further:

Emergency Dental Procedures During the Lockdown

While dental clinics were closed, many dental procedures that were emergencies still needed to be catered to. These included a chipped tooth, gum swelling, or a broken filling. However, many other procedures were heavily discouraged. Routine examinations for seniors were delayed. Therefore, many dental problems like periodontitis or signs of oral cancer were at risk of going undetected.

Many procedures were canceled because the nature of many routine procedures themselves can be dangerous during a pandemic. For example, ultrasonic scaling devices can aerosolize the virus by mixing water, saliva, and other debris in a spray. Therefore, to maintain patient safety, dentists are instead hand-scaling the teeth.

Safety Procedures During A Dental Appointment

As dental clinics have fully began opened up again, they have followed strict and comprehensive guidelines recommended by the CDC. These guidelines make clear what steps a dental clinic needs to do to ensure patient and staff safety. Significant aspects of these guidelines include sufficient PPE for dentists and hygienists to protect them from the virus.

Furthermore, appointments must have a minimum of 15 minutes between them to ensure adequate disinfection and sanitization. Lastly, dental clinics must also prioritize emergency care over other dental services.

Safety Procedures Outside a Dental Appointment

Outside of the dentist's office, there are still guidelines clinics need to follow to maintain proper safety standards. For instance, patients can not walk into a clinic, and they book a visit in advance.

Furthermore, they are told to wait outside in their car, while a staff member comes to screen them. Clinics screen for patients for their temperature and any symptoms of respiratory illness. When it’s time for a patient’s appointment, they’re called inside while ensuring proper physical distancing on their journey to the dentist.

Do you need emergency dentistry in Germantown? Advanced Dental Center is here for you, offering excellent dental care in Germantown while prioritizing patients’ safety. Our team is well-equipped with PPE, and we’ve created a safe environment for those who visit our clinic.  Contact us now to book an appointment.