2020 has brought a lot of change but one thing has remained the same: the commitment of Chicago Dental Society member dentists to your safety and well-being. Amid the pandemic, taking care of your health is more important than ever. Don’t delay a routine trip to the dentist – maintaining good oral health goes hand in hand with total body health, as the mouth is the gateway to the body. Through proper oral health practices and regular checkups, you can mitigate the spread of bacteria from the mouth to other parts of the body, preventing larger issues that can affect the whole body.
At your next dental visit in the COVID-19 era, you’ll notice enhancements to dental offices to ensure every visit is safe and comfortable for patients and staff. Dentists have always been on the front lines of preventing the spread of disease, and it remains our top priority now as infection control protocols are updated and expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good oral health is essential to good overall health and, amid a pandemic, it is more important than ever to keep up with good hygiene habits to keep yourself healthy. The mouth is one of the body’s first lines of defense against bacteria, and research has linked bacteria and inflammation associated with periodontal disease to systemic diseases and conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and more. While COVID-19 is a virus, medical communities suspect bacterial superinfections may contribute to complications, such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), heightening the importance of maintaining strong oral health and hygiene. Preventative dental care and strong oral hygiene creates an additional, critical barrier of protection to prevent greater health complications.
What to expect at your next dental visit
When it comes time to return to your dentist’s office, you may be wondering what additional precautions have been taken to ensure your safety. While the physical office and appointment process may look a little different, be assured that these adjustments have been made with your health, safety and comfort in mind. Some of the changes and upgrades you can expect include:
Before your visit
A deep cleaning of treatment rooms between patient appointments, and more frequent cleaning of restrooms and common areas. Magazines, toys, remote controls and other high-touch items in waiting rooms have also been removed to limit the spread of germs.
To reduce time in the office, the patient intake process and registration may be completed online or over the phone prior to your appointment.
You may be asked to complete a COVID-19 pre-screening questionnaire a day or two prior to your appointment.
While you’re at the office
An additional health screening may be conducted when you arrive on site at the office, including a temperature check. Doctors and staff may also complete a chairside checklist prior to beginning a procedure.
Office layouts have been updated to promote social distancing, along with new measures to protect staff at reception, including front desk staff wearing masks or other protective gear and possible sneeze barriers.
In some cases, you may be directed to wait in your car or in an alternative waiting area. Fewer appointment times may also be offered to space out patient arrivals and departures.
Dentists and staff will also look a little different, and will be wearing additional Personal Protective Equipment as an added layer of security for you and them. This may include masks, gloves, face shields and gowns.
Ongoing safety precautions
As always, we are following the latest infection control recommendations made by OSHA, CDC and the ADA to ensure we are in accordance with their guidance at all times.
If you are unsure whether you should visit the dentist at this time, please consult your doctor to determine a care plan best suited to your situation. It is important not to skip seeing the dentist if care is needed - seeing a dentist can help stop small issues from becoming bigger health problems.
As of May 11, dental offices were given guidance that they could reopen and resume providing routine dental care to patients. As dental practices across Chicagoland and the state of Illinois continue to reopen and welcome back patients, administrative updates and safety enhancements are being implemented to ensure every visit continues to be safe and comfortable for patients and staff.
Many dental offices are accepting new patients at this time. Taking care and being aware of your health is more important now than ever, and maintaining good oral health is essential to your overall health and well-being. We are a resource to help you maintain good oral health habits and mitigate small issues before they become bigger health problems. If you are looking for a new dental care provider, click the link below to search for a CDS dentist in your area.
Prior to visiting a new dental practice, it is best to contact the office to go over instructions for your visit and confirm personal and health history information so that you limit time on -site the day of your appointment.
Our first priority has always been the safety and well-being of our patients and that has not changed. As part of our ongoing commitment to patient safety, we remain up-to-date on the latest guidelines and recommendations from OSHA, CDC and the ADA and have a long history of being on the front lines of preventing the spread of disease. While there will be some updates to office procedures when you return to the dental office for routine care, be assured that these new measures have been taken with your health, safety and comfort in mind.
Now more than ever, we want our patients and their families to know that maintaining oral health is essential for their overall health, and regular visits to the dentists are an important component of their personal healthcare plan.
If you have any concerns about whether you and your family should enter the office given your personal situation, consult your doctor beforehand to plan the best course of action. If your dentist isn’t able to see you in their office right now, it is important to maintain good oral health habits at home.
As always, we are continuing to prioritize your safety and well-being when you receive dental care. Some of the steps being taken to ensure the dental office remains a safe and healthy environment for patients and staff include:
Deep cleaning treatment rooms between patients, and disinfecting restrooms and common areas more frequently. All non-essential items will also be removed from the waiting room to prevent the spread of germs.
Upon arrival, you will likely notice that the waiting room layout has been adjusted to facilitate social distancing. In some cases, you may be asked to wait in an alternative waiting area, such as the parking lot out or an outside area adjacent to the office.
For added protection, sneeze barriers may be present at the reception desk to limit direct contact with staff, and you will be asked to wash or sanitize your hands.
To confirm your health status, online or over-the-phone health screenings may be completed prior to your appointment, as well as an additional health screening and chairside checklist with your dentist prior to treatment.
Dentists and staff may also be seen wearing additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as an added layer of security for you and them. This may include gloves, masks, face shields, and gowns.
To keep you safe, the dental team must also be safe. Enhanced safety measures and precautions, such as frequent deep cleanings, new waiting room layouts to promote social distancing, sneeze barriers, patient health screenings, PPE and more, are being implemented to not only protect patients, but provide a layer of security and protection for dentists and their staff as well.
If you feel unwell or have a fever within 24 hours of your visit, please stay home and reschedule your appointment. If you are well and able to enter the office, wear a mask, maintain a proper social distance of six feet, and wash your hands before and after your visit to prevent the spread of germs between patients and staff.
Yes, patients should wear a mask or face covering to their appointment. Creating an additional barrier between yourself and others is always a good idea to prevent the spread of germs. This will be particularly beneficial in the common areas of the dental office prior to receiving treatment. If you do not have access to a mask, call ahead and check the specific protocols for your dental office.
As part of routine practice, all dental office employees are asked to regularly monitor themselves for fever and symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Guidance from the CDC also recommends that dental offices screen all employees at the beginning of their shift, which may include a temperature check, a health questionnaire or a rapid COVID-19 test, as available. If an employee is sick or presents any common symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as a fever, cough, or loss of smell or taste, they are instructed not to come to work and to notify their primary care provider.
