Dentists Are Keeping Their Patients Safe During COVID

COVID-19 has been life-changing for most of us. One unfortunate aspect of the pandemic has been the hesitancy among our patients for elective, preventive, and even urgent dental treatment. Some studies show as high as 40% of patients are postponing a visit to their dentist.

It is understandable to feel strange and vulnerable having dental work done; after all, you are being asked to abandon your personal protection, masks and social distancing. This reluctance for dental visits is having an effect not only on oral health but also on people's overall health. Dentists are seeing the devastating effects from the avoidance of regular dental care among patients. This is unfortunate as dentists have worked diligently to keep their patients safe during the worst of the pandemic.

For decades dental offices have practiced what is known in the healthcare industry as "Universal Precautions." This is an approach where the highest level of infection control is used for every single patient. This approach has not only kept patients and dental team members safe in the past, but it has been extremely successful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients visiting their dental office should feel comfortable and protected.

When visiting a dental office, you will see the familiar COVID-19 protocols, which include masking, the use of hand sanitizer, social distancing and plexiglass barriers. In addition, you will see the following protocols:

• Screening and temperature checks for every patient and staff member
• Reduced number of patients in the clinic at one time
• Sanitization of public touchpoints several times throughout the day
• COVID-19 specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worn by clinical staff:
  • Fit tested N95 masks
  • Face shields
  • Hair covers
  • Disposable or freshly laundered protective gowns for each patient
• Enclosed spaces for a patient's treatment to isolate the treatment area
• Hospital-grade HEPA air purifiers running in the treatment areas to clear the air of the COVID-19 virus within minutes
• Increased time between appointments to allow for aerosols to settle
• Disinfection of surfaces once the air is clean in the treatment room
• A high standard of disinfection and sterilization
• Increased use of disposable barriers

It is important for our patients to be comfortable when they visit us. The above measures have kept dentists, dental team members and our patients safe during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is demonstrated by a lower rate of COVID-19 infection among Canadian dentists compared to the general population. In addition, a survey by the American Dental Association indicates that less than 1% of dentists nationwide in the US have tested positive for COVID-19, a much lower rate compared to the general public. Most importantly, these infections are not associated with patient/dental staff interaction during treatment but from outside the treatment room. Considering the proximity of our patients and the amount of aerosol production during an average dental appointment, this is remarkable and worth noting. The existing "Universal Precautions" and the additional COVID-19 protocols are working to keep dental staff and patients safe.

I hope that after reading this article I have reassured you and helped to relieve some of the hesitation and worry you may have about your next dental visit.

As a profession we are happy to answer our patients' and the public's questions about what dentists are doing to promote our patients' safety.

You can also find out more information about COVID-19 safety protocols from the following websites:

• Ontario Dental Association "what to expect": https://www.oda.ca/visiting-the-dentist/health-and-safety-at-the-dentist/covid-19-what-to-expect-at-the-dental-office/
• Canadian Dental Association "about COVID-19": https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/about/covid-19/covid-19.asp
• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario "about COVID-19": https://www.rcdso.org/en-ca/patients-general-public/covid-19--novel-coronavirus-for-patients