Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Visiting the Orthodontist During Covid

A common goal amongst healthcare professionals is to promote and protect the health and well-being of patients. Even when the world isn’t battling a global pandemic, dentists and their teams are following infection control protocols and operating with the utmost caution at all times.

For the health and safety of staff and patients, dental practices were required to implement new regulations in the office. Its common knowledge that offices are obligated to meet the required safety protocols and have proper PPE (personal protective equipment) in place to manage patients and operate successfully. Along with revised safety and PPE regulations, physical distancing protocols have been enforced for the foreseeable future.

Regular visits to your orthodontist are essential during orthodontic treatment but you can feel at ease knowing that rules and regulations are in place to ensure your visit is as safe as possible. Lets discuss a few of the changes that you may notice on your next trip to the orthodontist. 


Before Your Appointment


To help ensure that patients arriving for appointments are healthy, the office may call you ahead of time to ask questions regarding your current state of health. Youll be advised to arrive at the exact time of your scheduled appointment and to wait outside or in the car if you happen to arrive early. This will avoid over-crowding in the reception area and help alleviate any potential risks. The reception area will also look slightly different than before. Chairs will be appropriately spaced apart to abide by social distancing measures and non-essential items will be removed to avoid the number of touchable surfaces. In addition, anyone accompanying you to an appointment should wait outside and be contacted by phone when the appointment is finished.


At Your Appointment


First and foremost, you must wear a mask until you’ve been seated in the dental chair. You’ll be asked to sanitize your hands immediately upon entering your orthodontists office. A team member will have you fill out COVID-related consent forms in regards to your health and will also take your temperature to make sure youre healthy enough to be in the office. When youre in the dental chair, you may notice some things look different from the last time you were there, and this includes your orthodontist and other team members. Safe, effective, and high-quality personal protective equipment, such as masks, face shields, gloves, and gowns, are required to meet regulatory standards. This should provide a sense of security to know that your dental providers are wearing the proper equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to keep you safe. 


After Your Appointment


When your appointment is complete, team members will thoroughly disinfect all areas with cleaning solutions that are effective against the virus. This eliminates any risk of illness being passed to others. 

Though you may feel a sense of uncertainty when it comes to dental appointments during the pandemic, keep in mind that regular dental visits are essential to your overall health. We are all taking the necessary steps to ensure that health and safety remain a top priority. Remember, we are all in this together. 


What To Expect When You Start Invisalign Treatment

For many years, traditional metal braces were the most common option to correct orthodontic issues. Dental technology, specifically in ortho...