WHO urges public avoid routine dental

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I went for a cleaning yesterday and was impressed with the precautions they took. Everything was explained to me in detail.


- required to wear a mask until I got into the chair
- met me at the door before I entered for a temperature check and applied hand sanitizer to my hands
- questionnaire about symptoms upon entry and again by dental hygenist
- no waiting area. Waited outside with chair 6' apart until they came and got me
- air purifiers in the treatment rooms
- option to prepay before treatment or do it by phone later on so that I could leave

- was given a special mouthwash that I had to use for 30 seconds which would nuetralize my germs in my mouth
- hygienist wore gown, masks, face shields and goggles and double masks


I was surprised that there was no Covid 19 charge added to my bill, same prices as before.
 
I need regular cleanings (3-4/year) and missed my last two. I'm going next week because I know the problems that can arise from bad plaque/calculus like I have. My dentist is my niece and I know what precautions she has in place.
 
But will they sell to us? The web site states:

"Advantage Arrest is an FDA regulated prescription medical device and is only available for purchase and administration by a licensed healthcare professional."

Also, the price for an 8ML bottle is now $179.99.

Bongleur said:
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%
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Here’s the WHO guidance https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1289841/retrieve

A few observations.

- This applies only to non-essential care. Routine checkup, dental cleanings and preventive care. Not other types of dental care, such as health, chronic or emergency.

- This applies to locations where COVID spread is high, not where it has been controlled or where the spread is low.

- This guidance is for public health authorities and includes recommendations on how to minimize contagion where dental care is given.
 
A few weeks ago my wife went in for teeth cleaning. I was not happy about it but that won't happen again until there is a vaccine or I go live somewhere else until there is. There needs to be consistency for everyone in the household for everyone to be safe. She is always very careful so I was surprised that she was willing to take the chance. Of course the emails from the dentist about taking precautions for everyone's safety may have been the convincing factor. I saw it as their income was down from lack of business. They must be hurting financially just like restaurants, bars, and theaters to be taking the risk themselves. I have not been to the dentist even though my cleaning date that I postponed was months ago. I'll continue to use a Waterpik Flosser and brush in the meantime.


Cheers!
 
I'd feel better if they could open the windows. Like most office buildings, they can't open the windows at my dentist office.

To me, the biggest risk is a previous patient the hour before has it and fills the room with virus aerosols.
 
DektolMan said:
I went for a cleaning yesterday and was impressed with the precautions they took. Everything was explained to me in detail.


- required to wear a mask until I got into the chair
- met me at the door before I entered for a temperature check and applied hand sanitizer to my hands
- questionnaire about symptoms upon entry and again by dental hygenist
- no waiting area. Waited outside with chair 6' apart until they came and got me
- air purifiers in the treatment rooms
- option to prepay before treatment or do it by phone later on so that I could leave

- was given a special mouthwash that I had to use for 30 seconds which would nuetralize my germs in my mouth
- hygienist wore gown, masks, face shields and goggles and double masks


I was surprised that there was no Covid 19 charge added to my bill, same prices as before.
Click to expand...
I went Monday and my office had the same set up . I felt safe . I had already skipped one cleaning so I wanted to go . Office was busy.
 
I plan to go first appointment on a Monday so no one will have been there before me for 3 days (They don't work Fridays).
 
I went three weeks ago, as my previous appointment was postponed. Our local case counts are very low. They took tons of precautions, including a peroxide rinse before starting. No ultrasound cleaning. I haven't had tooth problems in years, just some fillings that started breaking down 5-10 years ago. DH needs to get cleanings every 3-4 months. He missed one. I also made a first thing Monday appointment for the same reason.
 
I suppose I would like some indication of "until coronavirus numbers in communities ease" means. I couldn't find a reference for that.
 
Gumby said:
They didn't say "ignore a dental problem". They said "postpone routine cleanings." Those are two very different things.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah, except....without the exam and radiographs included in the appointment, you won't know you have a problem until it is an emergency problem, i.e. pain, swelling, infection....nice things to avoid by early detection.
 
About a month after I had a tooth extracted by an oral surgeon the dental group in the same office had two or three of their administrative staff come down with COVID according to the local news. No issues for me, but I won't be doing any more dental for a while. - Luck of the draw....
 
I'm going to get mine now cancelled the first time and it's gonna be 2 months before I can get in.

I don't want my gums to rot and I don't want a "deep cleaning" ever again. I'll risk the covid, take my chances.

The who can do whatever they like.
 
I had my six month cleaning last week. All the same precautions listed above were taken and, so far, so good for me, but what do I know? It’s Minnesota, the spread is low and I trust the officials here won’t hesitate to shut dentists down if there’s a spike. Like everything now, it’s a calculated risk.
 
badatmath said:
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!
Click to expand...



I am immune compromised, but I heard how dentists are being very careful. I had a cleaning a month ago and they had a whole new serous procedure in place. You call when you arrive in the parking lot. They tell you when to come in. No one in the waiting room, go straight to the chair. Chair was wiped and equipment sterilized. Staff wore both mask and face shield. I even had to use a special germ killing mouthwash.
 
I cancelled mine back in May and have no plans to go anytime soon as I do not have gum disease or any major problems at the moment. As others have mentioned, i am doing extra flossing and brushing. But I do have an eye appointment for Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. There will not be many patients if any at the time so that will be good but still not thrilled to be going. But I do have glaucoma and the only way to get prescription refills is for regular appointments. So......guess I will be going.
 
I have not been able to reschedule ours yet. Both need cleaning and Have a crown replacement that needs to be done as they found decay underneath it last X-ray. No pain or problems, so not on the urgent list to get in. Whenever we get called, we will most likely go in.
 
Bongleur said:
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%
Click to expand...
DH got a cleaning and he said they are avoiding aerosolizing type things (with the exception of drilling etc that can't be avoided. Also our dentist has a private room for each hygeinist.
 
Aerosols traveling through ventilation system is my concern. Plus our community numbers are going up and 10,000+ students are coming back to the university. A friend of ours, years ago, got Legionnaires Disease through an HVAC system. He was not the only one at the conference who got it. Weeks on a ventilator in isolation. He did pull through.



Anytime there's dental work going on in another room, regardless of an individual filtering system in rooms, there's a chance of aerosols. Our local hospital has negative pressure isolation rooms. When E Bola was a threat, they were the only hospital in Illinois outside of Chicago that offered these rooms.
 
Rianne said:
Aerosols traveling through ventilation system is my concern.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I've been to my dentist 3 times in the last 4 months. A cleaning, crown prep, and a new crown. In addition to the PPE and surface cleaning they do after each patient, they are required to have a window in each exam room open for air circulation (plus the HVAC) to disburse the aerosols.

My dentist commented that winter time could be a bit 'bracing,' if the protocols are still in place.

- Rita
 
timo2 said:
I suppose I would like some indication of "until coronavirus numbers in communities ease" means. I couldn't find a reference for that.
Click to expand...

Don't know if there is a specific threshold for determining that, but I definitely know that the rate of community spread here in Georgia is way too high to qualify. I canceled my upcoming cleaning and have no plans to reschedule until there is a substantial, sustained drop in new daily cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Until then, I'm brushing and flossing a little more diligently than usual.
 
I have my routine visit scheduled for Thursday. I’ve been debating on whether or not to cancel. Lots to think about.
I’m in GA and cases are up. I may cancel since I don’t have any issues that need attention.
 
Gotadimple said:
Interesting. I've been to my dentist 3 times in the last 4 months. A cleaning, crown prep, and a new crown. In addition to the PPE and surface cleaning they do after each patient, they are required to have a window in each exam room open for air circulation (plus the HVAC) to disburse the aerosols.

My dentist commented that winter time could be a bit 'bracing,' if the protocols are still in place.

- Rita
Click to expand...
My dentist will have to bust out windows to make that happen. In many office buildings the windows don't open.
 
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