Is it safe to go to the Dentist?

Have you every walked in the grocery store isle and noticed that someone is coming at you walking the WRONG WAY against the one way signs! Don't they read? aren't they paying attention? Where are the people governing the laws in the store? Does that ever go through your mind? Or what about those people who don't wear a mask in public? I feel like I have to cross the street when I see them coming.

Even before the Pandemic Dentistry has had it's own rules and regulations to keep the public safe as well as the Dental Professionals. When you step into a dental operatory every touchable surface should have been wiped down and decontaminated from the last patient. Barriers are placed where there are commonly touched places. Masks, goggles and gloves are worn to prevent cross contamination from provider to patient. Everything used for each patient is either disposable or sterilized. We, as Dental Professionals, have always been concerned about your health and saftey, even before CoVid.

With the new CoVid Protocols not much has changed. We wear more industrial masks, some of us wear 2 masks, for our protection. We wear Face sheilds, for our protection. We wear long disposable lab coats, for our protection. The office building installed Merv 13 filters for safer breathing. Masks are a must when entering the building, and must be worn until you are seated in our operatory. A Covid Disclosure form is to be filled out when you enter the office and your temperature is taken.

When you go to the Grocery store, you really don't think that you may be exposing yourself to all kinds of contaminates, but really think about it. You touch the shopping cart handle, How many people have touched that handle before you? how many of those picked their nose? Or their butt? then you walk through the store with everyone touching and grabbing things, and worse, THEIR KIDS with their nose picker hands or unwashed bathroom hands (eww!!). I don't know about you, but I always have someone bumping into me also, it's usually in Target or Walmart and no one really knows how far 6 feet REALLY is. 

By the time I am done shopping, I have had a full blown panic attack because I have been touched at least twice, some Big obnoxiously rude man has walked down the isle at me (going the wrong way of course), Oh, My favorite is the "I don't have a mask so I'll use my shirt then drop it when no one is looking" guy dropped his shirt right next to me, all before I can get to the register.

So to your Question: Is it safe to go to the Dentist?

Yes! It's safer than going to the Grocery Store!

Author

Kerry Bonamico Kerry has 20 years experience in the dental field, beginning her career as a dental assistant. She has worked in just about all aspects of the dental office imaginable, leading her to her now home with Steven Talerman DDS. When she is off she likes to have adventures with her family.