What are dental offices doing to protect patients and staff from COVID-19?

Even before the pandemic, dental offices were required to maintain pretty strict hygiene practices. Charles Sutera, DMD, FAGD, cosmetic dentist and founder of Aesthetic Smile Reconstruction, tells Health. He explains that all dental practices already follow OSHA standards for cleaning and sanitizing everything with EPA-approved disinfectants specially designed for use in a healthcare setting to kill viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. Additionally, it has long been standard protocol for an entire dental care team to wear protective gear, including gloves, surgical masks, and goggles for eye protection to minimize the risk of transmitting germs from one patient to another. “These standards are in practice every day, regardless of whether there’s a known outbreak of an infectious disease,” he says. 

Now, due to COVID-19, there are additional safety precautions in place, many of them recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association. “When open during the COVID-19 pandemic, we enforce social distancing between all individuals in the office—patients and staff—when not wearing personal protective equipment, and routinely disinfect common surfaces in lobbies or waiting rooms, including doorknobs, countertops, and pens,” says Dr. Sutera.

When more people eventually start coming in for dental procedures, Dr. Sutera says that many offices—including his own—will start staggering appointments with more time allotted for each patient in order to reduce the number of people in the office at any given time. “Chairs will be placed six feet apart in the waiting room," he says, and "depending on the facility design, you may be asked to wait in your car, or you may be taken immediately back to a private room upon arrival." And if you want reading material, you may have to bring your own. "The usual magazines, toys, etc in waiting rooms will be removed," says Dr. Sutera. "In their place you will find tissues, hand sanitizer, and extra trashcans."

Staff will also take many extra precautions, including having illness screenings and daily temperature checks, and being required to change from their street clothes and shoes to scrubs (or vice-versa) before entering or exiting the practice. Dentists, hygienists, and assistants will also wear "more robust [PPE] equipment for higher-risk procedures that create more aerosols," says Dr. Sutera. "Personally, I am wearing a hairnet, double mask, shield over the mask, and long sleeve shirts and pants, which I'm changing in between every patient, as well as shoe covers," he adds.

And screening won’t be limited to staff. Due to the fact that dental workers are more at risk of infection than patients, it is important to make sure that anyone getting treatment is infection-free. Dr. Dorfman explains that patients should expect to fill out a questionnaire the day before they come in and also when they arrive at the office. Dr. Sutera says to expect questions covering possible symptoms, recent travel, and any caregiver responsibilities for those who are ill. Expect to have your temperature taken and possibly a pulse oximeter reading done as well, says Dr. Sutera.

Finally, the dental procedure itself may look a little different: "We are also using what’s called an extra oral," says Dr. Dorfman, who explains it's a machine used outside of the mouth. "It is a high powered suction unit that picks up all the aerosol in the air from when we use a drill,” he adds. You might also be asked to swish with 1% hydrogen peroxide prior to treatment, “to reduce any pathogens in the saliva,” adds Dr. Sutera. 

So, when should you schedule your next dental appointment?

First and foremost, if you're experiencing any type of dental emergency—swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, pain, trauma from an accident, or if you have a dental concern related to an underlying condition (chemotherapy, uncontrolled diabetes, etc.)—it's important to see your dentist as soon as possible since, again, many offices are still open for emergency procedures and visits.

If you're in need of a cleaning, but your state's dental offices are still closed to any non-essential procedures, you'll have to wait until they open back up. But if your state has started to allow elective procedures, you have to think about your own comfort level in going to the dentist. You can also feel free to call up your local dental practice and ask what they'd recommend, depending on the level of the COVID-19 outbreak in your area.

In the meantime, and again, as long as you're not currently facing a dental emergency, remember to keep your teeth and mouth healthy by brushing your teeth and flossing twice a day (yes, even in quarantine).

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Face masks can ‘increase risk’ of catching coronavirus, expert explains

A professor of medicine has explained that apart from masks not helping prevent catching coronavirus, they could also “autocontaminate”.

As concern about the spread of the coronavirus grew, people rushed out to their nearest store to buy face masks to prevent them from contracting the disease.

Doctors, professors and experts from around the world have said the best way to protect yourself was by taking preventive actions, like staying at home if you’re sick and being diligent with hygiene such as washing hands with soap and water.

But according to infection prevention specialist Eli Perencevich, MD, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Iowa’s College of Medicine, if you wear a mask incorrectly it can actually “increase” your chances of getting the virus.

“Masks won’t protect the average person. Because they will wear them incorrectly and autocontaminate themselves. I’ve never seen a person practice hand hygiene before removing a mask in public and then after removing the mask,” Prof Perencevich said in a Twitter post on Monday.

He told Forbes that the average healthy person does not need to have a mask, and they shouldn’t be wearing masks.

Prof Perencevich said if people don’t wash their hands before taking off a mask, “you could increase your risk”.

“There’s no evidence that wearing masks on healthy people will protect them,” he said. “They wear them incorrectly, and they can increase the risk of infection because they’re touching their face more often.”

“The one time you would want a mask is if you’re sick and you have to leave the house. If you have the flu or think you have COVID, that’s when you’d put on a mask to protect others. In your house, if you feel like you’re sick, you should wear a mask to protect your family members.”

The World Health The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) official advice is that “if you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection”.

WHICH MASKS REDUCE CHANCES OF GETTING THE VIRUS
There is medical grade respirators (3M) that health care professionals wear when treating someone with a serious contagious disease.

The type of face covering that reduces exposure to airborne particles – including protecting the wearer from viruses and bacteria – is called a respirator. The type of personal protection equipment (PPE) that healthcare workers wear when treating someone with a serious contagious disease is a medical respirator, Forbes reports.

The must have an efficiency rating of “N95,” “FFP2,” or a similar rating that refers to how many particles – and of what size – can’t get through.

It protects the wearer from getting sick and protects the patient from the wearer’s germs.

According to Forbes, those people who use medical respirators have received training in how to wear them to protect themselves, such as ensuring the mask forms an airtight seal with their face.

But even then, 3M states in its Respiratory Protection FAQ document that “no matter how well a respirator seals to the face and how efficient the filter media is, wearers should expect a small amount of leakage inside any respirators. No respirator will eliminate exposures entirely”.

On the weekend, US surgeon general Jerome Adams, MD, pleaded on Twitter for people to refrain from purchasing masks.

Researchers found have that those most at risk of dying from the virus are over the age of 70.
“Seriously people-STOP BUYING MASKS!” he demanded. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”

Since Saturday, his post has since been retweeted more than 37,000 times with 65,000 likes, adding that the best way to protect yourself and your community is with “everyday preventive actions”.

“Like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness.”

The WHO also advises that those who wear a mask, “must know how to use it and dispose of it properly”.

The specialised United Nations agency explained that before putting on a mask, strict hygiene rules should be followed including cleaning hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

“Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask,” it said.

“Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.”

Critically, the mask needs to be changed as soon as it was damp and could not be used again.

“To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.”

The agency has published mythbusters on the disease and is battling an “infodemic” of false information about how coronavirus spreads.

DEATH TOLL REACHES AT LEAST 3000 WORLDWIDE

The death toll worldwide has now reached at least 3000, with the virus appearing on every continent except Antarctica, infecting more than 87,000 people.

The first person to die from the coronavirus in Australia has been named as James Kwan, a retired travel agent from Perth.

Mr Kwan, 78, was diagnosed with the virus after going on the infected Diamond Princess cruise ship.
He died in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Researchers have found that those most at risk of dying are over the age of 70, or those who have pre-existing serious health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer.

Professor Robert Booy from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance told the ABC that Australia needed to focus on older people living in aged care and the elderly still living at home, as they were most at risk.

“People with chronic medical conditions of the lung or the heart also need to be closely monitored,” he said.
 
This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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