By Dr George Druttman

Can I still visit my dentist? Regular dental care is an important need, now as much as ever. Yet during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, it’s one of the services that’s most out of reach.

This is because the virus is spread via airborne droplets transmitted from the oral/nasal cavity of one person to another, within an arbitrary distance of two meters. That puts the dental team at high risk. Even with full (PPE) protection of gowns, gloves and masks this is still a high risk.

There’s also the urgent issue of keeping the patient protected from the dental team. So, what can be done meanwhile?

Precautionary measures

• Be particularly mindful to keep your mouth and teeth super-clean and plaque free. There’s more time during the day to do this now!
• Take care to avoid having a traumatic emergency (such as slipping in the bath and fracturing a tooth). If you have dental veneers on your teeth, avoid biting hard objects.
• If there’s a sign of any problem (such as increased sensitivity to temperature or pressure, a piece of tooth breaking off or any kind of discomfort or pain), call your dentist.

Phone or Video Consultation

Sharing information during a phone or video consultation can provide a lot of input towards the next steps.

• If the symptoms are mild, the dentist may conclude that treatment can wait.
• The dentist will also be able to advise how much time to wait.
• If you have pain, it can be temporarily treated with pain killers. The dentist can provide you with a prescription for a strong pain killer online.
• If it’s possible to show the problem via a phone or computer camera, that may help to decide the next steps.
• Having a video dental consultation can be really useful to discuss issues such as dental anxiety, aesthetic concerns, tooth grinding or any other aspect of dental care.

And remember – in cases of emergency, there’s always a way to resolve an urgent problem. CAP City Dental is ready to help.