You can’t entirely blame it on COVID-19. The truth is poor dental health is a perennial issue with people. Even in the best of times, daily brushing and flossing after meals and routine dental check-ups were not exactly best practices, everyone followed.
Then came the pandemic, and we began to realize the importance of maintaining dental health. After all, you did not wish to end up with a dental emergency in the middle of a lockdown.
And that fear proved to be the silver lining. “The positive impact of the pandemic is that we have started to become more health conscious,” says Dr Chandan Bagde, Aesthetic Dentist, Dermalase Clinic, Al Wasl. “Oral health comes first in this regard.”
However, there are downsides too.
The beginning of the pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown, mandated the shutdown of dental clinics given that dentistry is largely about an aerosol environment. “In March and April 2020, the clinics were shut. During those months, patients largely were dependent on OTC medications, home remedies and telephonic consultations,” says Dr Bagde. “This, along with use of face masks during social visits, led to a rise in gum infections and fungal infections in the oral cavity.”
Plus, there was, and still is, the matter of boosting one’s immunity. People began to drink large volumes of lemon juice and Vitamin C-loaded beverages, which over a period of time led to the erosion of dental enamel. Also, immunity compromised individuals began to develop a peculiar type of oral lesions, says Dr Bagde.
In the face of such challenges, it is advisable, says Dr Bagde to not delay visiting your dentist. “With proper precautions, getting dental treatments is a safer option. Telemedicine cannot be alternative to actual oral examination. Though, in the case of active SARS-CoV-2 infection, it’s an option till you get back to being negative.”
The state of your dental health, she says, is a mirror of your overall systemic condition. And now, as the restrictions have lifted and people are returning to a semblance of normalcy, while observing all COVID-19 safety precautions, dental clinics are also gearing up for the arrival of patients.
Safety protocols of dental clinics
“Initially, we treated only emergency dental procedures by taking ample precautions to limit cross contamination and spread of infections,” says Dr Bagde. “We were/are ensuring that the patient is free of fever and any other active signs of infection during their visit. We also rely on their travel history and declaration.”
To prevent surface contamination, clinics send instructions to the patient before the visit. “The use of masks, gloves, and foot cover is mandatory when they visit us,” says Dr Bagde. “Body temperature is recorded at the entrance of the clinic. The consent form and appropriate medical history are taken by dental nurses. And patients are provided with a hand sanitizer with 70 percent alcohol content.”
Safety guidelines
“As clinicians, we wear coverall/PPE, N95 mask, facial screen and good quality gloves and foot cover as do our assistants,” says Dr Bagde. “All the equipment is autoclaved/sterilized as per manufacturer’s instructions. Entire dental unit is surface disinfected, and our surgery is well equipped with certified air purifier units installed close to the dental unit. All static surfaces are wiped with alcohol wipes to ensure a contamination-free environment.”
Even the door of the clinic is wiped clean each time a patient enters and exits, and appropriate social distancing is observed at all times throughout the clinic.
“We encourage patients to speak in detail about their dental issues on the phone prior to their visit,” says Dr Bagde. “This gives us a fair idea about the severity of their problem, and we can advise them about the medications to be taken before the visit, if required. We take care to maintain an adequate time gap (15-20 min) between appointments so we can make our unit ready and disinfected for the next patient.”
The good and bad news on dental health during COVID-19