WASHINGTON: Is it safe to visit the dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic? Dentists can’t eliminate all risk, but they are taking steps to minimize the chances of spreading the coronavirus.
You’ll likely notice changes as soon as you enter the office. Many dentists have removed magazines from waiting rooms, for example, as well as some chairs to encourage social distancing.
They also are spacing out appointments to avoid crowding their offices.
You may be asked to arrive for your appointment with a facial covering and to wait in your car until equipment is cleaned and the dentist is ready. Before receiving care, you can also expect staff to take your temperature and ask about COVID-19 symptoms.
Procedures are changing, too.
Getty Images
Some dentists are charging for all the extra gear, so ask in advance if you should expect extra costs.
Coronavirus is spread mainly through droplets people spray when
Dental offices have begun seeing patients return for routine procedures. Seattle dentist Kathleen Saturay has increased the layers of protective equipment she wears when treating patients.
Elaine Thompson/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Elaine Thompson/AP
Dental offices have begun seeing patients return for routine procedures. Seattle dentist Kathleen Saturay has increased the layers of protective equipment she wears when treating patients.
Elaine Thompson/AP
Add dental visits to the list of services you can book now or shortly as cities, counties and states continue to modify their months-long stay-at-home orders aimed at reducing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.
Dental offices were largely shuttered across the United States after being advised in March by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to close their practices to all but emergency care. Many closed entirely.
The hope was that by allowing dentists to continue to treat serious cases — such as
Dental offices have begun seeing patients return for routine procedures, and are working under updated CDC guidance regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Seattle dentist Kathleen Saturay has increased the layers of PPE she wears when treating patients, among other precautions.
Elaine Thompson/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Elaine Thompson/AP
Dental offices have begun seeing patients return for routine procedures, and are working under updated CDC guidance regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Seattle dentist Kathleen Saturay has increased the layers of PPE she wears when treating patients, among other precautions.
Elaine Thompson/AP
Add dental visits to the list of services you can book now or shortly, as cities, counties and states continue to modify their months-long stay at home orders aimed at reducing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.
Dental offices were largely shuttered across the United States after being advised in March by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
At Dr. Todd Bertman’s office, the receptionist wears a plastic face shield. So do the hygienist and the nine doctors in the practice in Manhattan’s East Village.
Dr. Bertman reopened the office two weeks ago after closing it in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In another change from the past, he has switched from ultrasonic cleaners that spray water and saliva into the air to laser instruments.
The dentists and hygienists wear head-to-toe personal protective equipment that they change between appointments, a time-consuming, awkward ritual that requires them to take off booties, gowns, goggles, masks, gloves and the shields and replace them with clean ones.
“It’s like changing out of a spacesuit,” Dr. Bertman said. “It’s annoying as hell but this is what it kind of comes down to until we find a vaccine.”
As of June 19, every state had allowed dentists’ offices to reopen for all
America’s dental offices are reopening after months of handling only emergencies. All 50 states now allow routine dental care, like teeth cleanings and cavity fillings, but dentistry is considered one of the highest risk professions for the coronavirus.
“If someone asked me in January, ‘Hey, ever think about taking three months off from dentistry?’ And I’d be like, ‘Yeah, when I retire.’ It was never on my radar that we would have to shut down for this long,” Dr. Peter Shatz, the chairman of the Georgia Dental Association’s COVID-19 Innovation Task Force, told CBS News senior medical correspondent Dr. Tara Narula.
He’s one of the people trying to help dentists navigate complicated guidance from the state, OSHA and CDC on how to reopen safely.
“We were stood up to help our members better understand the complexities of the coronavirus … from science, research, availability of PPE,” Shatz said.
Going to the dentist will feel vastly different than it has in the past, with new rules aimed at preventing those who may be unknowingly sick from spreading SARS to
GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) — Like every small business, dentists have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. But with new guidelines issued just days ago, dentists can start seeing routine patients again, with several solutions in place to help make your next checkup safe. These protocols include a temperature check, mandatory hand sanitizer and a checklist of health questions.
These safeguards are just some of the new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their release gave dentists and other dental specialists in California the “yellow light” to see patients who have been forced to delay much needed care.
The fear of contracting COVID-19 is not only on the minds of patients, but very much a concern for dentists and their staff.
MORE: Where did COVID-19 come from?
“Anything that we can do in our practices right now to reduce the aerosol levels, that’s our goal,” said Dr.
After nearly two months of shuttered offices or emergency-only work, California and Sacramento dentists are reopening this week to more patients.
That puts dental offices squarely on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and poses serious questions for patients, dental employees and dentists:
How safe is a dental visit? What precautions are needed? Should some patients wait a few more weeks before going in?
Dental offices involve close contact that produces aerosol particles that can carry the virus. That said, both the state Department of Public Health and the California Dental Association last week signaled to dentists they can ramp up with patient loads, if they follow coronavirus-safety guidelines.
It means dental office visits are going to be notably different now than they were a few months ago. Here is at look at the issues and likely changes:
It’s up to all of us to take action against medicine abuse. The best place to start is in your own home by storing medications safely and securely, and by talking with your kids about the dangers of medicine abuse.
Mind Your Meds
Two-thirds of teens and young adults who report abuse of prescription medicine are getting it from friends, family and acquaintances. Make sure the young people in your life don’t have access to any medications in your home. Follow these three steps to monitor, secure and properly dispose of unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medicine in your home.
Step 1: Monitor
How aware are you of the prescription medications currently in your home? Would you know if some of your pills were missing? From this day forward, make sure you can honestly answer yes.
Start by taking note of how many pills are in each of your
There are two ways to search for Mercury Safe Dentists and Mercury Free (Amalgam Free) Dentists who will safely remove amalgam fillings and are also members of Dr. Tom McGuire’s Mercury Safe Dentist Internet Directory and his International Association of Mercury Safe Dentists (IAMSD).
Search for Mercury Safe Dentists in the United States by Zip Code: Enter your Zip Code, select the desired miles radius and click Go.
Search for Mercury Safe Dentists by selecting the appropriate State, Canadian Province, or Country, and click GO.
Member dentists will be listed in alphabetical order by City. Scroll through the list until you find a Mercury Safe Dentist in your city, or a city close to you. Click on the dentist’s name to learn more about him or her.
