So many aspects of our daily lives have been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dentists are no exception. The American Dental Association recommended that dentists close their offices for all patients except those with emergencies for most of March and April. Luckily, your dentist in Forest has started to open back up for regular appointments like cleanings. What can you expect at your first appointment after reopening? Keep reading to find out.
Before Your Appointment
A day or two before your appointment, someone from your dentist’s office may contact you and ask you a few quick questions about your recent health, just to make sure that all patients who enter the office are healthy. They might repeat these questions when you arrive at the office.
Instead of sitting in the waiting room, you will probably be asked to wait in your car once you get to the office and check in with your phone. Waiting rooms can be a breeding ground for germs, so waiting in your car allows you to bypass that area and head straight back into the treatment area when the dentist is ready to see you.
At Your Appointment
Before your appointment properly begins, a member of your dentist’s staff will likely ask you to wash your hands and rinse your mouth out with an Oracare solution in order to kill as many germs as possible.
You might notice that things look a bit different. For one, it’s not as crowded. Your dentist isn’t seeing as many patients as before, so there’s more time for the staff to disinfect the office between patients. Furthermore, your dentist and their clinical team will be wearing additional PPE (personal protective equipment) like surgical gowns, face shields, and shoe coverings. These items help protect both you and your dentist from germs.
After Your Appointment
Once your visit is over, a member of your dentist’s staff will thoroughly clean all the areas that you could have touched, including doorknobs and the dental chair. This helps reduce the risk of any illness being passed on to others.
If, within 14 days of your appointment, you start feeling sick with any COVID-19 symptoms (such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath), contact your dentist immediately. There is a chance that you were carrying the virus during your appointment, and anyone you with whom you came into contact could now be at risk.
Just because we’re in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t mean you should let your oral health fall by the wayside. Attending your regular dental checkups is just as important now as it always has been. To find out more about the safety precautions your dentist in Forest is taking to protect you, go on their website or give them a call.
About the Practice
At Crossroads Family Dentistry, our main goal is to make your visit to the dentist as stress-free as possible. Our practice aims to provide comfortable, comprehensive, and affordable dental care for the whole family. We care about your safety during these trying times, which is why we keep our office as clean as possible by adhering to the CDC’s and ADA’s COVID-19 guidelines. To learn more about how we’ll keep you and your family safe during your appointment, visit our website or call us at (434) 841-1704.