Covid-19: Yes, it’s Safe to Go to the Dentist

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things about our daily lives. Your regular visits to the dentist have changed, too. In March, the ADA recommended that dentists postpone all but emergency procedures until April 30 at the earliest to help reduce the spread of the virus; save masks gloves and other personal protective equipment and help keep patients who need emergency treatment from going to busy hospital emergency rooms.

Now that this date has passed and states have reopened, dental practices are seeing patients for the full range of dental services.

An October 2020 report published in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that fewer than one percent of dentists nationwide were found to be COVID-19 positive and 99 percent of dentists were using enhanced infection control procedures such as screening protocols and enhanced disinfection practices when treating patients. The ADA has developed science-based guidance to dentists on extra steps they can take, in addition to the infection control procedures they’ve always followed, to help protect their patients and staff. Here’s what you can expect at your next appointment.

Before Your Appointment

To help make sure that patients arriving for their appointments are healthy, your dental office may call you before your appointment and ask you some questions about your current health. They may also repeat these questions when you arrive to make sure nothing has changed.

Your dentist’s office staff may also ask that you limit the number of people you bring to the appointment. That could mean leaving your children at home or allowing older children to go into the office alone while their parent waits outside during their appointment.

At Your Appointment

If your state or city is requiring people to wear masks in public, be sure to wear one to your appointment. When you arrive at the dental office, you may be asked to wait outside until they’re ready for you. This will reduce the number of people in the office and reduce the amount of time you’re close to other people. When you enter the office, you may have your temperature taken.

Inside the office, you may notice things people often touch in the waiting room – like toys or magazines – have been removed. They may have hand sanitizer available for you to use and may wipe down items you touch, such as pens, clipboards or furniture.

When you’re in the dental chair, you may notice some things look different from the last time you were there. The dentist may have covered the computer’s keyboard with a disposable cover so it can be easily cleaned between patients, for example. Your dentist may also be using different protective equipment than they’ve used at previous appointments. This could include different masks, face shields, gowns and goggles. These additional precautions help protect both you and our dentists.

After Your Appointment

After your appointment is over, the staff will thoroughly clean the areas where you’ve been using disinfectants that are effective against the virus that causes COVID-19 to prepare for the next patient. This helps reduce the risk of illness being passed to others.

If you start feeling ill with the symptoms of COVID-19 within two days of your appointment, call the dental office. You may have already been carrying the virus at the time of your appointment, so anyone who came into contact with you during that time could be at risk for getting sick too.

Remember, regular dental visits are an essential part of your overall heath. Be sure to reschedule your dental exams once your local authorities allow dental practices to reopen. Your ADA dentist will make sure your visit is as safe as possible for everyone involved.

Lowcountry Family Dentistry New Equipment, Protocols & Procedures

New Personal Protective Equipment(PPE):

• All Staff will be wearing masks (clinicians are wearing both N95 & Surgical)
• During procedures Dentists, Hygienists, and Assistants will be wearing one N95 mask and one surgical mask, face shields, removable outerwear, and surgical/scrub caps.
• Protective Barrier at Front Desk
• Medical Grade Air Filtration Systems are placed throughout the office.  These units are specifically made to kill bacteria and viruses down to .01 Microns.  By using a total of eight units, all the air in the office is purified every 8 minutes.
• Germicidal UVC Lighting has been installed within our HVAC air system to kill bacteria and viruses.
• ReLeaf Aerosol Reduction Systems – ReLeaf allows for safer dental and hygiene procedures by minimizing aerosol risk and risk of aerosol backflow.  Aerosol production raises the risk of airborne contaminants. As recommended by the ADA and CDC, the use of high volume evacuation has been shown as the best way to reduce aerosols.

Office Procedure and Protocol:

• We will be reviewing screening questions with each patient when you arrive for your appointment.
• Each patient will have their temperature taken when they arrive.
• Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the office.
• Each patient will use a pre-procedural rinse composed of 1% Hydrogen Peroxide which is proven to kill Coronavirus.
• Each team member will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). This PPE will be changed out multiple times daily.
• Additional time has been scheduled between appointments for a thorough and deep cleaning of the treatment room.
• High traffic areas are being wiped down with medical grade sanitation wipes every other hour.
• We are implementing special appointment times for our most vulnerable patients.
• We are offering special appointment times for patients to condense multiple appointments into one block to limit the number of times required to come into the office.

Looking for a Covid-19 safe Dentist Office in Beaufort, SC?

We are confident that our Ladys Island dentist office offers the best Covid-19 protection available.  Our number one priority is your safety and for the safety of our team.  To our knowledge, no other office in town offers medical grade air purifiers in every room, germicidal UVC lighting via HVAC, and some of our other precautions. To this date, neither our staff & patients have reported a single case of Covid-19.  If you have questions or concerns about your dental visit during Covid-19 call us at (843) 986-0177 or schedule your online appointment.