What You Need to Know About Going to the Dentist During COVID-19
By: Dr. Amy See
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live our daily life in a number of ways. Many of us have had to move homes, struggle with virtual school for our children, adjust to remotely working-from-home, and not being able to socialize with our friends and family like we used to.
It’s also a fact that many businesses and organizations have either shut down due to the pandemic or are only providing limited services at this time. So what does this mean for you and your family in being able to receive dental care during COVID-19?
Can I Still Go to the Dentist During COVID-19?
Depending on which state or county you live in, most people should have access to their regular dental services while others may not be able to receive dental treatment unless it is a medical emergency.
Here at our dental office of Amy H. See, DDS, all of our services are fully available to treat you for any of your dental needs. For the health safety of our patients and our staff, we are limiting the number of patients we allow into our clinic at any time.
But don’t worry, if you have a dental emergency and need to see a dentist right away, give our office a call right away and we’ll do our best to provide you with same-day emergency treatment. (click here to call our office at 919-562-8200)
What if I Can’t Go to the Dentist?
For many people, being able to go to the dentist may not be a possibility at the moment due to various life circumstances. If that’s the case for you, then it’s important to take steps to maintain your dental health during this time.
The easiest and most effective you can do is to brush your teeth. We recommend all of our patients make sure they brush their teeth and floss every day. This will help prevent any potentially painful dental emergencies that come from tooth decay or other long-term dental issues that are very expensive to fix.
Especially during a pandemic outbreak, having healthy teeth and gums is important because our mouths are connected to our immune system and overall physical health.
So please don’t ignore your oral health.
Since many people’s jobs have become remote and we’re not socializing as much anymore, it’s common for people assume that they don’t have to brush their teeth as much since they’re just at home. And that skipping a day or two and not brushing your teeth is perfectly fine and won’t have any effect on you.
It’s not true!
By skipping your teeth brushing several times a week, it will lead to developing long-term serious dental problems like tooth decay and gum disease. Having these types of dental problems will tax your immune system and make you more vulnerable to disease and other medical issues down the road.
Not to mention having to pay for costly dental repairs and experiencing painful dental procedures that could have been easily avoided by just brushing your teeth and remembering to floss every day.
How to Recognize a Dental Emergency
If going to the dentist is not possible for you right now, there are some symptoms that you do need to watch out for. Because it’s important that you know how to tell if you’re experiencing a serious dental emergency and need to call your dentist as soon as possible.
Please call our office right away if you experience any of the following emergency symptoms:
Severe pain
Swelling around the mouth (also face, gums, neck)
Wisdom tooth pain or infection
Trauma to your teeth or jaw (tooth gets knocked out)
A broken or cracked tooth
Broken or a lost crown
Post-surgery care you cannot do yourself
Broken dentures or denture repairs that hinders your ability to chew
Any dental work related to cancer treatment
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), they recommend that you seek treatment immediately if you are in severe pain, at risk for high infection, or if the situation is life-threatening. If you’re unsure about your symptoms, just give our office a call. Only a dentist can determine whether or not your symptoms are serious and need emergency care.
Call our dental office at Rolesville at 919-562-8200 if you have any questions about whether or not you think you are having a dental emergency.
What to Expect Before Your Dental Appointment
Our number one priority is the health and well-being of all our patients. So in order to best protect your health, our dental office is following the ADA guidance and protocol for hygiene safety and social distancing for dental services. We are currently limiting the number of people inside our clinic, so we ask that you limit the number of people you bring with you to your appointment.
To ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff, we will also be conducting a health pre-screening for all of our appointments. Our office will contact you 24 hours before your dental appointment and ask you some questions about your current health. If you are feeling ill or experiencing flu-like symptoms and have an upcoming non-emergency appointment, we kindly ask that you call us to reschedule.
How to Stay Safe During Your Dental Appointment
Our staff is taking strict precautions to properly clean and thoroughly disinfect all dental equipment and patient areas in our office. We have also installed the proper equipment to ensure that all of our dental rooms are properly ventilated and sanitized to prevent the spread of germs. (To learn more about our COVID-19 safety measures click here)
In order to help reduce the virus’s spread and risk of infection, we are also asking all of our patients to wear face masks when they come for their dental appointment.
Let Us Know if You’re Not Feeling Well or Think You May Have COVID-19
Please call our office right away if you start feeling ill with COVID-19 symptoms within 14 days of your dental appointment. Please tell us if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:
Fever with temperatures of 100.4°F and higher
Dry cough
Shortness of breath
Muscle or body aches
Sore throat
Headache
Loss of taste or smell
Schedule Your Appointment
If you are experiencing a dental emergency or have any questions about your dental care, call our Rolesville dental office at 919-562-8200. Our friendly staff is ready to help answer any of your questions.
If you prefer, you can also submit your questions to us online. Just click here (online contact form) to fill out our online form and a member of our team will contact you within 24 hours.
May you and your family stay safe and healthy during this unprecedented time. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!