Prepping for Patients: 4 Safety Measures to Expect at Your Dental Visit During COVID-19

For the last five months, our daily lives have been re-designed to limit the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus. Fortunately, these safety and sanitation measures put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization have made the transition out of quarantine and into our “new normal” possible. However, it is more important now than ever to practice proper infection control. With this in mind, your dental team is implementing four new protocols to remain a safe dentist in Edison. Wondering what they are? Then keep reading!

#1. Extensive Sanitation Practices

Pre-pandemic, your dentist dedicated their time, resources, and training to follow sanitation and safety requirements from the CDC and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA). While those protocols continue to play a crucial role in practicing proper infection control and preventing cross-contamination, your dental team is taking those already high standards to the next level by:

• Implementing personal hygiene standards (i.e., no non-essential jewelry, short nails, etc.).
• Cleaning after every appointment.
• Conducting a deep cleaning each evening.
• Using CDC-approved instrument sterilization.

#2. Social Distancing Guidelines

According to the CDC, social distancing guidelines may have prevented up to 185,000 deaths! With this in mind, your dental team is re-designing their daily operations to make maintaining a 6-foot distance a practical reality. Therefore, at your next visit, you can expect procedures like contactless greetings, virtual waiting rooms, and one-way traffic signs that effectively funnel foot traffic throughout the office.

#3. New Appointment Options

Before 2020, back-to-back appointments or seeing your dentist for multiple visits was routine. However, your dentist is implementing new appointment options to allow for ample cleaning time, prevent you from leaving your house for multiple visits, and provide you with the opportunity to undergo more dentistry in a single visit. Plus, at-risk hours are available to patients who are most vulnerable to the symptoms of COVID-19.

#4. Additional Personal Protective Equipment

At your last appointment, you wouldn’t have thought twice about seeing your dentist in a face mask. Still, seeing the office team wearing personal protective equipment can take some getting used to! Since the CDC and OHSA are recommending that dental teams provide themselves with an additional layer of protection, face shields, disposable coats, and even shoe coverings can be expected at your next appointment.

As your next dental visit approaches, it is important to remember that your safety is your dentist’s number one priority. Fortunately, with the above measures in place, you can get the oral care you deserve without compromising your safety!

About the Author

After achieving his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the reputable New York University College of Dentistry, Dr. Vrajesh Shah completed his Prosthodontic training at the same institution! In the last 20 years, he has taken numerous hours of continuing education courses, helped countless patients with complex dental cases, and become a member of multiple notable organizations (like the American Dental Association). If you are looking for a dentist in Edison, then visit his website or give him a call at 732-906-0077.