The question on the lips of some patients is whether going to see their dentist again is safe and if it is critical.
There are a couple of questions concerning picking a safe dental practice that this post will answer. Again, in this article, you will discover the drawbacks of Covid-19 on dental health and the potential harm of staying without dental care for a long time.
What is your advice to a patient needing dental care but afraid of revisiting the dentist?
At St. Albans, we haven’t compromised on keeping our office hygienically clean and infection-free. To up our health, safety and cleanliness standards, we have implemented new measures and brought in new equipment that will keep both staff and patients safe while offering or getting any form of dental treatment.
Did you follow any recent dental protocol while coming back to business?
Our protocols have changed for patients, practice and staff. we comply with all the recent regulations set by the government for practices reopening during the coronavirus. We are taking every chance we’ve got to provide optimal dental care with the highest standard of safety and comfort for all our patients. In fact, among our recent upgrades is a highly innovative air purifying system.
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, what upgrades do you think is critical to have in your practice for added safety?
It is mandatory for dental practices to have the highest standard of a pre-screening system and comply with thorough infection control standards. In addition, it’s important to have an air purification system and improved PPE.
What is the prerequisite for a dental appointment?
For all St. Albans dental patients, it is now required that you make an advance booking, do a health screening, and complete a medical questionnaire (if necessary) before seeing the dentist. The timely arrival of patients is also advised to help us control the number of in-patients. In public areas, patients should put on face masks.
What steps have you taken to calm the nerves of your patients and team of dental experts as regarding safety in your practice?
Our office now has an innovative air purification system and extraoral vacuums. And our staff put on their PPEs as required. Over at our reception area is a newly installed screen. All patients are instructed to keep the advised social distance between them. Thankfully, we have a large waiting room that makes this easy. Every week our staff are tested for coronavirus.
What should be my expectation as this is the first time I’m visiting my dentist since the coronavirus outbreak?
Our concierge nurse will welcome you at the door and ask that you get your hands sanitised. They will ask questions about your health to be certain there are no significant changes. You’ll see the clinical staff on extra PPE. Where there’s a need for treatment, extraoral suction unit are in place to block aerosols from spreading to the surgery. Don’t be surprised to see our anti-virus air purifier in silent operation.
What other hygiene measures does your practice have in light of coronavirus?
We had our surgeries always cleaned rigorously before and after each patient, and currently, our public areas are regularly cleaned.
What silent dangers does coronavirus pose to dental health?
Since March 2020, estimates show that more than 14 million dental appointments have not been kept. Most of these appointments are for biannual checks and hygienist care. Admittedly, these services are relevant to keeping up a healthy mouth and detecting severe oral concerns. Before now, periodontal diseases have been associated with other health conditions. Presently, there is evidence showing the link between chronic gum disease and serious coronavirus.
Why you should see the dentist despite the coronavirus
When the lockdown began in March, many dental practices were closed. This caused serious oral issues to arise, and because patients could not access dental care, they resorted to self-care. We are happy that since June 2020, dental offices have received government permits to open up and provide all dental care, and they are now classified as essential healthcare services.
Now that this is so, you can come in for regular dental screening to identify any issues that may affect your teeth and gums. With regular hygienist appointments, we can ensure your gums are in good health. This is very important for those at risk of gum disease, using braces, implants or crowns.
Keeping up with dental appointments allows for red flags of oral cancer to be identified on time, and treatment has a greater chance of being successful. Studies reveal that early detection of oral cancer in those above the age of 5 carries an 80% rate of survival. On the flip side, the survival rate came down to as low as 30 to 50% following the late diagnosis of oral cancer.
If you need to see a dentist or hygienist, you can book your dentist in St Albans today and be sure of receiving the dental care that is based on strict safety, hygiene and cleanliness. With all our covid-19 measures in place plus the added dental protection, our practice has all that you need to feel comfortable and safe is available. So, don’t let coronavirus deny you the dental care your teeth and gums deserve.