How Comfortable Are You Going to Dental Hygiene Appt?

[TrvlBug]

My rescheduled hygiene appt. is next week and I'm getting nervous about going. I go every 4 months and this one was rescheduled from last month, so 5 months. It's a large dental office (~6-8 dentists) in an older building.

I plan on calling them Monday to find out what they are doing to protect their patients. DH had implant surgery last week and their precautions were impressive...doc and assistant in hazmat type masks and PPE. Upgraded filtration system for their HVAC and some other stuff I can't remember. Made DH get tested prior to the surgery!

I think I'll cancel for now. I don't have dental issues, got a full set of x-rays my last appt. There's really no need for me to go now.

 

[Dtail]

I go every 4 months for periodontal cleanings.
My appointment was canceled last month. I wouldn't have gone anyway.
Not sure when I will go.

 

[aja8888]

I have an appointment on the 21st, about 5 months after my hip replacement. My surgeon said I need to take a course of antibiotics a couple of hours before the appointment. I'm not worried at this point and I have the pills.

What is the worry? Any cut that could get infected could migrate to my new hip joint and infect that.

 

[W2R]

How Comfortable Are You Going to Dental Hygiene Appt?

Things are improving rapidly here, and I plan to make a routine doctor appointment for June probably (if allowed) since I skipped my April appointment. Likewise, I'll probably get back to regular dental care before too long.

As soon as routine teeth cleaning is allowed by state and local government, I plan to make an appointment for about a month later. That way I can see if people are dropping dead right and left from having their teeth cleaned (which I doubt).

My dentist is fantastic and very aware of medical related aspects of his work and proper techniques and so on, and so is his hygienist. New coronavirus case numbers have dropped off to a very low level around here.

 

[candrew]

My dental hygiene appt. that was scheduled for May 4th has been postponed until mid-August.

Edit to add: Appointment was postponed by my dentist's office.

 

[cathy63]

My dental cleaning appointment for tomorrow was cancelled because non-emergency work is not allowed here right now. We agreed to touch base the first week of June and see what the situation looks like then.

The hygienist always wears a surgical mask, goggles and gloves anyway, so I'm not sure what else he could do to protect me. Maybe he could add a paper gown that he changes between patients, but otherwise I feel reasonably safe from him. He's probably at more risk from patients though. In order to make him feel comfortable, I'd be willing to get tested for Covid-19 before an appointment if they asked me to and there was a reasonably accessible way to do so.

 

[aaronc879]

I have an appointment on the 21st, about 5 months after my hip replacement. My surgeon said I need to take a course of antibiotics a couple of hours before the appointment. I'm not worried at this point and I have the pills.

What is the worry? Any cut that could get infected could migrate to my new hip joint and infect that.

I was shocked when my Surgeon said I didn't need antiobiotics if I have dental work done after my hip replacement. It has been almost 2 years and I haven't gone to the dentist yet. No dental problems so I decided it wasn't worth the risk. I certainly wouldn't go now if I had gone within the last year. That seems crazy to me for anyone who doesn't have some kind of dental problem.

 

[TrvlBug]

My dental cleaning appointment for tomorrow was cancelled because non-emergency work is not allowed here right now. We agreed to touch base the first week of June and see what the situation looks like then.

The hygienist always wears a surgical mask, goggles and gloves anyway, so I'm not sure what else he could do to protect me. Maybe he could add a paper gown that he changes between patients, but otherwise I feel reasonably safe from him. He's probably at more risk from patients though. In order to make him feel comfortable, I'd be willing to get tested for Covid-19 before an appointment if they asked me to and there was a reasonably accessible way to do so.

Non-emergency medical is now open in my area (SF Bay Area). Exception is purely cosmetic.

 

[aja8888]

I was shocked when my Surgeon said I didn't need antiobiotics if I have dental work done after my hip replacement. It has been almost 2 years and I haven't gone to the dentist yet. No dental problems so I decided it wasn't worth the risk. I certainly wouldn't go now if I had gone within the last year. That seems crazy to me for anyone who doesn't have some kind of dental problem.

I have a lot of crowns plus two implants and go for the X Ray and cleaning. No real problems, but an annual "inspection" of the added stuff is in order.

 

[cathy63]

Non-emergency medical is now open in my area (SF Bay Area). Exception is purely cosmetic.

San Diego County may be going slower, or perhaps it's just my dentist. They called me last week, so things might also have changed since then.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I cancelled all routine appointments.

 

[CardsFan]

I was shocked when my Surgeon said I didn't need antiobiotics if I have dental work done after my hip replacement. It has been almost 2 years and I haven't gone to the dentist yet. No dental problems so I decided it wasn't worth the risk. I certainly wouldn't go now if I had gone within the last year. That seems crazy to me for anyone who doesn't have some kind of dental problem.

My surgeon said the same thing. Apparently there there has been more study done, and the antibiotics are no longer recommended (by some? most?)

 

[Redbugdave]

I need a replacement crown and cleaning. My wife needs the cleaning. I originally had the appointment a couple months ago and cancelled. I am still going to wait a month or so, and play it by ear. I can only be responsible for myself.

 

[38Chevy454]

DW and I both get our regular cleanings next week, postponed from March. I'm not worried.
More PITA is dermatologist checkup that was cancelled from April and rescheduled to Sept. They are extremely busy with all the cancellations.

 

[harllee]

I cancelled all routine appointments.

Same for me. I figure putting off teeth cleaning, etc for a few months won't cause me any problems. I would be too stressed out right now.

 

[timo2]

I'm thinking the dentists and staff are more concerned than the patients. If I needed work done I would go, once the dentists open back up in my state.

 

[Charlotte]

I actually just cancelled one today that was scheduled for mid-month. I’d like to kick the can down the road a month or two because cases are still rising in my county and I feel like everything is going pretty well in my mouth. If I felt like I had a trouble area in my teeth, I would probably go to get it checked out.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Our dentist cancelled DH's and my regular cleanings scheduled for early April. I imagine his office will reach out to us to reschedule. Meanwhile I developed sensitivity to hot and cold in a tooth last week and knew I had to attend to it immediately. My dentist sent me directly to an endodontist. They took me the next day and after 45 minutes I was out of there with a brand new root canal. Two thoughts on that experience:

1). Everyone in the office was dressed as though they were working in a Covid ER. I did not feel at risk. Totally garbed in PPE. I wouldn't recognize them on a street. Temp taken when entering. Sanitizing before and after my time in the chair.

2). It had been probably 15 years since I had a root canal. What a delightful surprise to experience the new way of performing root canals. Quick, computer driven, precise and painless.

 

[easysurfer]

I was scheduled for a regular dental exam and cleaning in April. Now pushed back until late June. Wait and see as for how things are by then .

 

[geeky_grrl]

I'd be worried about dental visits since a lot of the dental procedures can aerosolize viruses and they can stay airborn for a while. My hygienist loves to use an ultrasonic cleaner which is supposed to cause quite a bit of aerosols.

If it was an emergency I'd go, but I'll probably put off routine cleanings.

 

[MRG]

DW had an appointment for today. They called a while back and I saw the terror in her eyes as the lady introduced herself. DW desperately needs her 4 month cleaning, it's on month 5, but she isn't going near a hygienist or dentist in the near future.

My surgeon said the same thing. Apparently there there has been more study done, and the antibiotics are no longer recommended (by some? most?)

I think it depends on many factors. I had rheumatic fever as a kid in the 60s and was given antibiotics by the AHA till I was 25, they don't do that today.

My guess is that depending upon your prior history and your doctor's beliefs your treatment plan may be different.

 

[JustCurious]

Very comfortable.

 

[Moemg]

I had two visits cancelled so I really need a cleaning . I will go next month .

 

[GravitySucks]

They cancelled due to state mandate.
I think the hygienist would be more at risk than the patient.
I'll reschedule about a month after they reopen. My teeth are pretty good.

 

[razztazz]

I had a semi-annual cleaning for April cancelled by the dentist when the state and the ADA itself, I believe, nixed all non emergency dental procedures. They rescheduled for June. Currently I am on the fence as to whether I should get it out of the way or put it off again.


I still haven't seen any cars in the dentist's office parking lot and I went by there just yesterday. If I put it off till Oct, when it will be my annual cleaning, we could be in a Covid rebound / New Season of Covid along with the start of regular Flu season.


My teeth are great and I have no problems but that's partly due to the fact that I get them cleaned and checked regularly. Till June I am just sitting on the fence.