Your smile conveys a lot about your personality and it can be quite challenging when you have dental issues and a visit to the dentist’s office during these COVID times comes with a lot of queries and a lot of dilemmas. ETV Bharat Sukhibhava was in conversation with Dr. Himali Kamat, Margao dental clinic, and Ex lecturer dept of endodontics KLEs Belgaum.
Why would you require to see the dentist?
The pain would be the most common symptom. Many times, the patient does not understand whether it is a headache, earache, or toothache. Dental pain is one of the most excruciating pains. Dental caries and dental abscesses can be very distressing.
Also, there could be swelling or trauma to the tooth or surrounding tissues which also could be severe bleeding or ulcers in the mouth. All of these conditions are emergency procedures and require the immediate attention of your doctor
There are also conditions that would require treatment like fillings or making of dentures or crowns and Bridges or implant placements that require to be done but can be planned out.
A lot of talks is there about how safe it is to visit the dentist as they work directly in the patient’s mouth...another discussion is that the procedures that we do involve a lot of aerosol production.
So how safe is the whole process.
Whilst the concerns are genuine the risk of transmission is almost reduced to a minimum if the dentist follows basic sanitization and sterilization protocols:
a) Proper history is mandatory prior to appointment. For their own safety and for the safety of others.
b) Patients are seen strictly by appointment so that the waiting time or contact with others in the waiting room is reduced to zero.
c) All surfaces are disinfected and sanitised with a proper disinfectant after each and every patient
d) Every patient is asked to rinse/ gargle with a solution of chlorhexidine for a duration of 30 sec, research says this helps to decrease the viral load in the oral cavity for up to 1.5 to 2 hours, further reducing the risk of transmission.
e) Instruments used for each patient are sterile n used instruments are soaked in hypochlorite solution before washing and sterilizing.
f) The doctor also takes utmost care by wearing a protective suit, goggles, appropriate mask, face shield, etc.
g) The air in the operatory is also disinfected by spraying a mist of disinfectant...or fogging if ventilation is possible then the clinic windows are kept open to ensure circulation of clean air.
Creating awareness and educating patients about adhering to good dental hygiene practices is the need of the hour.
a) Brush, floss regularly.
b) Do not neglect a bridge, a root canal left incomplete.
c) Painful swollen, bleeding gums.
d) sharp edge of a tooth rubbing against your tongue.
e) swollen and bleeding gums.
f) Any untoward swelling near the nose or cheek.
g) a lot of recommendations are there about saline and betadine gargles.
h) A planned regular check-up is way better than an emergency dental visit.
As far as kids and the elderly are concerned they can visit the dentist by informing the dentist prior so that all precautions can be followed strictly.
As per studies chances of transmission in a dental setup is much less as protocols are followed to the maximum even before COVID 19 times. Though now followed much more stringently.
It is just a matter of inculcating discipline in our lives and adhering stringently to guidelines laid down. Remember it is for your own safety.
