Dentistry And Covid-19: August 2020 Update
It has been about half a year since the beginning of the pandemic --- with most social distancing protocols in place along with limited travelling, I figure what better time to provide a “dentist covid” update!
Not much has happened since the beginning other than keeping up to date with guidelines and making sure our patients are taking care of their oral health. It’s so crucial that you maintain your routine check-ups since your overall health is linked with your oral health. As I would like to say --- the health of your body begins with the mouth! (It also begins with what you eat but we’ll save that conversation for another rainy day!)
to this very day, it is still safe to see the dentist and here are some highlights/hot topics i’ve put together:
“Dentists have been experts in infection control for over 20 years due to the HIV AIDS scare. So we’re used to preparing our offices for infection disease control.”
- Dr. Richard Nagy, president of the California Dental Association, "Dentists push for routine appointments despite WHO advice"
“Unfortunately, a number of media headlines intentionally or not --- when they are referring to the WHO guidance, did not mention that the recommendation to delay routine oral health care is only suggested in an intense uncontrolled community transmission scenario. A scenario that [does] not fit with the current situation of [most countries] around the world.”
- Dr. Benoit Varenne, WHO Chief Dental Officer, "ADA 'respectfully yet strongly disagrees' with WHO guidance recommending delay of dental care"
Letter from the Florida Dental Association (FDA) to our Governor Ron DeSantis mid-August noting that “dentistry is essential health care” and that “practices have not been a source of spread.”
I hope this helps provide a small glimpse of the current situation with dentistry and coronavirus. As always thank you for reading this, I wish you all a good health and we’ll look back at this one day wondering how in the world did we get through it all!
Ricky Pan, DMD is a family and cosmetic dentist practicing in Oldsmar, FL at Pine Avenue Smiles.