WHO urges public avoid routine dental

[badatmath]

https://www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/who-urges-public-to-avoid-dental-cleanings-during-pandemic/

"According to WHO, all dental cleanings, oral health checkups, and other preventative care should be delayed until coronavirus numbers in communities ease because dentists work in close proximity with patients for prolonged periods of time."

I was planning to go end of Sept - first patient of the day on a Monday - am I nuts. I really don't think it is a good idea to ignore my teeth. . .

I feel like we trying so hard to avoid covid we neglect everything else!

 

[finnski1]

https://www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/who-urges-public-to-avoid-dental-cleanings-during-pandemic/

According to WHO, all dental cleanings, oral health checkups, and other preventative care should be delayed until coronavirus numbers in communities ease because dentists work in close proximity with patients for prolonged periods of time.

I was planning to go end of Sept - first patient of the day on a Monday - am I nuts. I really don't think it is a good idea to ignore my teeth. . .

Hmm. I have a cleaning due on Sept 22 myself. May have to rethink that. I had already postponed it from May.

 

[RunningBum]

I went to mine in June. I felt like they took adequate precautions, like checking in from the car and them coming out to get me when it was my time. I feel a lot has to do with how prevalent the virus is around the time of your appointment. If the rate had been high in my area then, I would've passed.

 

[cathy63]

Well, I had my teeth cleaned last week, so they are too late for me.

Precautions the dental office took:
- asked me to arrive wearing a mask
- had me wash my hands immediately upon arrival
- temperature check
- questionnaire about symptoms
- no magazines in the waiting area
- had all the exterior doors open for max airflow
- Dyson air purifiers in the treatment rooms
- option to prepay before treatment or do it by phone later on so that I could leave by the back door and not have to pass near other patients on the way out
- hygienist and dentist wore gowns, masks, face shields and goggles (before Covid they weren't wearing gowns and goggles)

The Doc said they've been very busy since they reopened a month ago, and they are definitely glad to be back at work.

 

[Dtail]

Went to my appointment this month, as it was already delayed for months.
I have periodontal cleanings, so can't miss them indefinitely.

 

[Amethyst]

We both got cleanings recently. It had been an extended period without them, due to the shutdowns landing right when we were supposed to go. I was glad, as we both had a little tartar that could have turned into a lot.

However, the dentist is having me skip my next-to-last Invisalign check-in, unless I start having pain or other problems. I was handed a dozen traysets, instead of six. He specifically cited our ages and COVID risk.

 

[Dwhit]

I think this shows the Value of WHO, basically zero. If you have dental problems you need to get then attended to. Do not postpone your dental issues, or you will suffer the consequences.

 

[Gumby]

I think this shows the Value of WHO, basically zero. If you have dental problems you need to get then attended to. Do not postpone your dental issues, or you will suffer the consequences.

They didn't say "ignore a dental problem". They said "postpone routine cleanings." Those are two very different things.

 

[travelover]

I think this shows the Value of WHO, basically zero. If you have dental problems you need to get then attended to. Do not postpone your dental issues, or you will suffer the consequences.

Right. I'd much rather have Covid 19 than a cavity.

 

[Doribe]

I just had my teeth cleaned. Precautions were the same as Cathy63 stated.

Are there specific incidents of people becoming infected at dental appointment? People around me are going to hair and nail salons, bars, and restaurants.

 

[Montecfo]

We have passed on routine cleanings for now. Does not seem worth it, WHO or no WHO.

 

[rodi]

We have also passed on dental cleanings. If we had a problem (tooth pain, broken crown, whatever) we'd go in... But not for a regular cleaning.

We are all flossing extra to be safe.

 

[Aerides]

Are there specific incidents of people becoming infected at dental appointment?

Given the lack of fast testing + effective contact tracing in most areas, I don't think there's much in the way of specific pinpointing of where people get sick (unless they know a family member, etc.)

But yes I do think common sense says a dentist visit is higher risk than a lot of other activity.

 

[Golden sunsets]

We have deferred also to September. I'm inclined to keep the appt, as we live in state with the 3rd lowest transmission rate. I'm thinking; get it done now, before the situation changes.

 

[mz44]

https://www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/who-urges-public-to-avoid-dental-cleanings-during-pandemic/

"According to WHO, all dental cleanings, oral health checkups, and other preventative care should be delayed until coronavirus numbers in communities ease because dentists work in close proximity with patients for prolonged periods of time."

I was planning to go end of Sept - first patient of the day on a Monday - am I nuts. I really don't think it is a good idea to ignore my teeth. . .

I feel like we trying so hard to avoid covid we neglect everything else!

Is this the same WHO that said 3 feet was the social distancing recco?
Went for dental in June. No issues, hygienist wore PPE.

 

[rk911]

too late. we've both had our spring/summer visits. next scheduled for december. i don't trust the WHO so we likely would've ignored their advice anyway.

 

[badatmath]

Yeah I don't trust them either. But my state does have high rate of virus and also it is far too hot to open the door to let in fresh air.

Guess I will see where we are in a few weeks. I feel like such a mess. Need a hair cut will need dentist soon.

 

[Amethyst]

I wouldn't gauge my activities based on what Other People are doing. Let them take their own risks. We haven't had our hair cut or been to a restaurant in months, and neither of us has ever been to a nail salon.

Are there specific incidents of people becoming infected at dental appointment? People around me are going to hair and nail salons, bars, and restaurants.

 

[W2R]

We have also passed on dental cleanings. If we had a problem (tooth pain, broken crown, whatever) we'd go in... But not for a regular cleaning.

We are all flossing extra to be safe.

Same here. I haven't had any problems, thank goodness. I was already overdue for a cleaning when the pandemic hit.

At first, dentists were only supposed to take emergencies (here). But now I think things have loosened up a bit.

I must admit that my reason for not going in, is at least half due to the fact that I hate dental work, and for once I have an excuse to wait.

 

[Chuckanut]

That’s what I did. I waited until the daily new infection rate went from about 200 to 36. Then I got my exam and cleaning. Today we are back up to about 155, down from a few weeks ago when it was 188.

Restaurants, haircuts, no way until things get a lot better. Life throws a few risky times at us that we can’t avoid. Why go looking for more?

 

[fh2000]

So my last visit was at the end of January. It has been a little more than 6 months. Can I go another 6 more months before going after we get vaccinated?

I am brushing, flossing, using proxy brush between teeth, and a water pick. I am doing the best I can.

DW said if I go, I will have to be quarantined for 14 days after I return. So, we wait.

 

[Amethyst]

Just as others have said: Gauge your own dental risk. Some people have more chronic problems than others. They have to rate their expected suffering from dental neglect, against what they perceive as the local COVID risk. Not easy, but neither is anything about this *$#@!+%% pandemic.

Same for physicals, etc. Unless you really need your blood tests and so on, I'd wait. I did go to urgent care for X-rays a couple weeks ago, when I thought I had broken my toe (I hadn't, and it is getting better).

So my last visit was at the end of January. It has been a little more than 6 months. Can I go another 6 more months before going after we get vaccinated?

I am brushing, flossing, using proxy brush between teeth, and a water pick. I am doing the best I can.

DW said if I go, I will have to be quarantined for 14 days after I return. So, we wait.

 

[badatmath]

Since we talk about money here a lot, I will confess as I have my visit "free" due to paying for dental insurance I am somewhat averse to cancelling it because I have paid! Ridiculous I know. It is not like its expensive.

 

[skipro33]

I think it depends on the # of CV-19 cases in your area. I'm in a rural area and I made mine the first appointment for the day. They were very careful not to use any equipment that makes a splash.

 

[Bongleur]

I want to find a dentist who has a day in the week where they do not perform aerosol generating procedures. Just looking in people's mouths, taking x-rays, maybe a little manual scraping if there is a chunk of tartar.

Then I'd know my risk factor for delaying tooth cleaning, or if I have a cavity starting to reach critical size.

This is also a time to consider using silver diamine fluoride instead of getting a filling.

This is a few years old:
Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride 38%