Coronavirus and Your Dental Health
COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) has altered our lives in many ways and left our patients with questions regarding dental appointments and dental procedures.
Our oral health has a significant impact on our overall health. For this reason, Dr. Andres de Cardenas and his team want to share some information on coronavirus and dental care.
Can You Still Visit the Dentist?
Our office is “officially” closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we encourage dental patients to call our office for any dental emergencies. We remain open to serve the South Florida community for dental emergencies only.
As outlined by the ADA (American Dental Association), a dental emergency is a “potentially life-threatening situation requiring immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding, alleviate severe pain or infection.”
“Conditions include uncontrolled bleeding, cellulitis, or a diffuse soft-tissue bacterial infection with intraoral or extraoral swelling that potentially compromises the patient’s airway, or trauma involving facial bones that potentially compromises the patient’s airway.”
As standard practice, our dental office adheres to the highest sanitary standards. Nonetheless, we are vigilant about wiping down areas and utilizing protective gear, increasing our efforts in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak, should we operate in an emergency capacity for dental patients.
Caring for Your Oral Health at Home
Any dental professional is an expert on infection control. We follow strict guidelines to help keep our patients safe while in our office, as well as healthy and educated while away from the examination chair.
We want our patients to avoid illness from infection while brushing and flossing teeth. Unfortunately, the spread of the novel coronavirus has now made patients more aware of the importance of proper infection control.
We understand that the virus is transmitted primarily by touching the face, mouth, and hands. Dental professionals want our patients to keep this in mind while tending to their oral health.
We recommend that patients wash their hands before brushing, flossing, and washing their faces. It is also important to keep toothbrushes germ-free by disinfecting weekly.
Do not share toothpaste or floss with anyone. We can carry the virus for five days before even showing symptoms. Sharing paste or handling the same dental floss can transmit the disease even where another party seems healthy.
Finally, we must ensure that we rinse our toothbrush after every use. Hot water rinses away paste that can hold germs and bacteria after brushing. This also rinses away some germs and bacteria, the brushing removed from the mouth.
Information on Dental Care and Coronavirus COVID-19 from Dr. Andres de Cardenas
Dr. Andres de Cardenas and his entire dental staff always make cleanliness and bacterial control a priority. Our office may currently be closed to the public, but we remain open to assist dental patients suffering from emergency issues.
We are closely following infection control standards outlined by the Center for Disease Control. This includes and extends to making adaptations and training our staff to utilize the safety standards before and after we treat a patient.
To learn more about emergency care and how we’re handling COVID-19, reach out to Dr. Andres de Cardenas at his dental office today!
