Dentistry in the Age of
COVID-19
B L O G | S U N R I S E D E N T I S T R Y
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
There is no doubt the COVID-19 virus
has changed the world forever. It has
transformed the way we work, shop,
socialize, eat, and our health care.
Dentistry is certainly not an
exception.
The truth of the matter is that viruses
have always existed. Some are minor
nuisances, while others can be deadly
It is not often that a virus shows up
and changes the way we think about
personal hygiene, sterilization, and
disinfecting.
As a holistic dental office, one of our
main focuses is the importance of
maintaining a healthy diet to protect
your overall health.
Plenty of vegetables and fruits that
are high in immune-boosting
vitamins can be your first line of
defense in fighting off viruses when
they arrive. We encourage all of you
to build your immunity by taking care
of your body.
Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly,
increase your intake of vitamins,
especially A, C, D, selenium, and zinc.
Maintain healthy social connections
with your friends and family through
any number of options, including
phone and video chat. Also, do your
best to maintain whatever spiritual
practices you have, so your emotional
and mental health are also supported.
While having a healthy immune
system can be our superpower, even
Superman is vulnerable to kryptonite,
so it is important that we take
additional measures to help protect
our immune system and those of
others. It is also important to know
that just because we have a strong
immune system does not mean that
we are not vulnerable.
Even if we carry a virus and
experience a mild illness, someone
who is at a high risk, such as those
with immune disorders, issues with
the heart or lungs, and diabetes can
be exposed through you, and the
resulting outcome could be
devastating.
So, yes, just like how dentistry
changed when H.I.V./AIDS
became the virus to dread, COVID-
19 has changed the industry once
again due to its highly contagious
nature.
Pre-H.I.V./AIDS dental providers
did not even ear masks and gloves
then, something unthinkable to
most people today.

An Increase in P.P.E. (Personal
Protection Equipment)
Part of dental health and safety policy
is the use of personal protection
equipment. You have probably been
hearing a lot about P.P.E. since the
advent of the novel coronavirus that
leads to the more serious COVID-19.
One thing you might not know is that
dentistry is probably the most
vulnerable occupation for exposure
risk to illness.
Since dentists work specifically with
the teeth and mouth, saliva, which is
one of the main carriers of germs, is
nearly impossible to keep confined to
the oral cavity.
It is on the instruments we use during
rinsing and polishing, when using
ultrasonic scaling tools to clean teeth,
and it lands on surfaces and clothing.
This is why instruments are sterilized
or disposed of between patients.
Surfaces are disinfected with
powerful cleaners that kill viral
components such as hepatitis,
tuberculosis, and staphylococcus.
In a dentist office, the employer is
responsible for ensuring that staff are
provided with whatever equipment
they need to perform their duties
safely and keep their patients equally
safe.
There are regulating agencies like
OSHA that monitor these safety
measures. Patients will find our
masks have been upgraded. We are
also using facial shields to help
protect us from splatter.
We have also secured protective
gowns, head covers, and gloves. Staff
and patients should feel confident
that all measures are being taken in
order to protect everyone.
In addition, monitoring of staff at the
beginning and end of the day with a
symptom checklist and temperature
check is also being implemented.
Patient Screening
Patient screening will now be an
important part of keeping our staff
and patients safe. It will start out with
a phone call before all patient
appointments.
Patients who may have been exposed
will be rescheduled to allow at least
two weeks to pass before seeing the
dentist, unless it is for an emergency.
This allows enough time to pass for
the person to be tested if he or she
begins to exhibit symptoms.
At this time, the C.D.C. and the
American Dental Association
recommendations include advising
individuals who have not been
exposed and have pre-existing health
conditions, not to see the dentist
unless it is for a dental emergency.
This is because they are at a higher
risk. This applies mostly to people
with existing health issues that
compromise immunity and healthy
hearts and lungs, especially elderly
people.
We will recommend high risk
individuals who have not been
exposed to delay their treatments
until the curve has flattened or until
the A.D.C. and the C.D.C. relaxes this
guideline.
Next, when patients arrive for their
appointments, they will be re-
screened with the same questions,
and their temperature will be
checked.
If the second screening represents a
low risk of having been exposed, the
appointment will go forward.
Otherwise, the appointment will be
rescheduled until at least two weeks
have passed.
We are limiting two people in our
waiting room at a time and requesting
others let us know they are here and
wait in either their car or the hallway
outside our office.
All patients will be asked to sanitize
hands and won’t be taken to the
treatment room until the providers
are waiting for them wearing the
necessary P.P.E.
Removal of Items That Cannot Be
Sterilized or Disinfected Easily
All items on counters have been put
into drawers or cabinets for
protection against contamination.
Unfortunately, these will include
magazines, books, brochures, and
children’s playthings in the waiting
area. Hopefully, we will eventually be
able to bring back our lending library.
If we have a business card or a specific
dental brochure you would like to
take for your information, one of our
staff will get one for you
Heightened Disinfection Measures
We now have one person doing the
disinfection in all rooms, including
the waiting room chairs, door
handles, clipboards and pens, and all
vertical and horizontal surfaces.
All of our computer equipment in
each operatory is covered with plastic
barriers, which are replaced between
every patient.
We will also be making every effort to
confine any procedures that create
aerosolized particles to certain rooms
and whenever possible. Our hygienist
will be avoiding using the ultrasonic
power scaler to decrease these
particulates.
You may also notice that the hygienist
will be polishing before she scales
instead of after.
The reason behind this is that
although the polishing does not
generate as much of the aerosolized
particles as the ultrasonic scaler, it
does generate some, which stays
suspended in the air for up to 45
minutes.
This allows time for the particles to
land and disinfection to occur before
the next patient is seated.
We know this is a strange time, and
keeping all of us healthy is the kindest
and most caring thing we can do for
each other. We appreciate your
patience and hopefully some sense of
humor around all these changes.
dale@durangolive.net
EMAIL ADDRESS
(970) 247-3303
PHONE NUMBER
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
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