From the beginning, doctors have known that COVID-19 is especially dangerous for high-risk groups, including older adults and people with underlying health conditions like heart disease and asthma. But research is still uncovering new risk factors, which now includes gum disease. The condition may affect up to half of American adults, and appears to be linked to a higher COVID-19 death rate, per a new study published earlier this month in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. In the study, researchers followed 568 patients infected with the novel coronavirus, dividing them into two groups: those without major issues (mild symptoms) and those who faced complications like ICU admission and ventilation or, eventually, death. They found …
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 …
Covid-19 – Our New Safety Equipment, Protocols & Procedures
As you are reading this, know first and foremost, we hope you and your family are doing well during these uncertain times. As our office has started to see patients again, we are often asked if it's safe to go to the dentist. Honestly, during the two and a half months we closed our office, Dr. Covington and Dr. DuRant wondered the same thing. When the pandemic first came about there were so many uncertainties about how it spread. As the Covid-19 situation has unfolded, the scientific community has narrowed how the disease does spread. Using this information and after many hours of reading CDC, OSHA and a variety of dental association recommendations, Dr. Covington and Dr. DuRant both felt it was possible to safely reopen the office if …
Temporary Open for Emergency Dental Care Only
Per recommendations from the American Dental Association as well as the CDC, we have elected to temporarily suspend appointments until April (though that date could change). We will be operating as emergency care only. If you have a scheduled appointment during this time, we will be reaching out to you. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to get back to a regular schedule as soon as we are advised that it is safe to do so. We appreciate your understanding in our efforts to help flatten the curve. During this unprecedented time, please know that the health and safety of our patients and our staff is, as always, our #1 priority. Please revisit this page for updates. If you, as an …
Coronavirus: How we all can make a difference in Our Beaufort Community
While I am far from an expert in Infectious Disease or Public Health, I have been actively monitoring developments and attempting to synthesize information from credible sources. I hope this summary helps put many of the pieces of this puzzle together. While we have no control over governmental responses to COVID-19, each of us can play a significant role in protecting ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbors, our communities ,and yes, contribute to overall public health. I think this message is being lost in all the noise surrounding coverage of the disease. Let me stress: Each of us can contribute to the well-being of others by following simple precautions. Let me explain. Due to the tremendous successes of our Public Health …
Coronavirus Update
Dear Valued Patients, we will be doing our best to keep our doors open during these cautious times and plan to keep all scheduled appointments. We care deeply about your health and well being. We have been closely monitoring recommendations from the CDC as well as the American Dental Association. Due to these recommendations, we ask that If you have flu or cold-like symptoms such as a cough or fever, newly developed shortness of breath, or if you have recently traveled to an area outside the US with known Coronavirus (COVID-19) or been in contact with someone who has traveled or contracted the virus, please call us at 843-986-0177 to reschedule your appointment. While our staff follows strict infection …