Dental Care for All of Us

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, has taken the world by storm. People all over the planet are self-isolating either because it's required or because they're doing it for the safety of themselves and others. But what if you need dental work done ASAP? Here's why it's still safe to get your dental work done, even at this time.

Gloves

The first thing to keep in mind here is that the coronavirus is spread more by hand contact than any other kind of direct contact. This is why it's so important to wash your hands.

When you visit the dentist, both the hygienist and the dentist will have clean hands. It's a constant part of their medical practices in order to keep everyone safe. But on top of that, they'll also be wearing gloves that they'll put on just before starting to work on your teeth. This ensures that no bacteria or viruses are being introduced to your mouth or your face while they're doing their work.

Mask

Dentistry is sometimes a slightly messy bit of work, and on top of that, it requires dentists to be very close to your face while performing their procedures. The good news is that the vast majority of dentists wore masks before anything like this ever happened, and even more will be now. While wearing a face mask doesn't do a very good job of protecting someone from catching the coronavirus, it does do an excellent job of preventing someone from spreading it. Anything that's coughed or sneezed will be caught inside the mask and won't make it to you. Of course, nothing like that should happen at all, because your dentist shouldn't come to work if they're feeling ill.

Cleaning

Lastly, keep in mind that the average dentist's office is an extraordinarily clean place. It has to be; people are coming and going all day long and much of the equipment is shared from patient to patient. By using deep cleaning, bleach, and other disinfectants, you can rest easy knowing that even if someone came to the office and had an illness, you're not going to catch it. Those germs will be long gone by the time it's your turn to be seen.

The most important thing to keep in mind during this time is that if you're not feeling well, cancel your appointment. Even if it's not the coronavirus, it's best to stay home if you think you could get others sick. But if you're feeling fine, you can go to the dentist without worry.

Contact a dentist if you have any further concerns about visiting a dental office.