Children & dental clinics: The safety of visiting them during Covid-19

Posted .

The Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown had brought kids dentistry services across the United States to a standstill. Delaying the visit of children to their dentist due to the fear of Covid-19 can adversely affect their oral health. Is it secure to visit a dental clinic with children?

Dynamic measures to tackle Covid-19:

The American Dental Association has brought out guidelines for the thwarting and management of Covid-19 pandemic. Kids dentistry in El Paso especially the Agave Dental Care practice headed by Dr’s Williams, Kasallis and Beals, has been proactively following these guidelines below to ensure that children keep their appointments with their dentists.

  1. Questionnaire:Even before visiting the clinic with your child, the dental office will contact you with a virtual questionnaire. It will gather information about your family’s overall health conditions, recent travel history as well as possible exposure to the pandemic. Based on the answers, your kid’s appointment can be scheduled.
  2. General guidelines:Social distancing measures have brought changes to the waiting area and seating arrangements. Periodicals, newspapers and children’s playthings have been taken out since they are prone to frequent touch. Intensifying the cleaning of frequently touched surfaces such as door knobs, chairs, tables, bathrooms etc with disinfectants are followed.
  3. Emphasis on Hygienic practices:All the dentists and other personnel in the dental clinic wash their hands after coming into contact with a patient, soiled surface and objects susceptible to infection. Proper respiratory etiquettes like coughing into the elbow and disposing tissues safely are mandatory.
  4. New appointment rules:Modifications to scheduling of patient visits has been made. This will limit interactions between patients. Appointments have been spaced out as well. This is to avoid overcrowding of patients. Fewer patients per day means less exposure for kids to the disease.
  5. Conveying the message:Through colorful posters in the clinic, the seriousness of the pandemic is conveyed to the kids. Stories convey the necessity of social distancing, using sanitizers and wearing masks as a duty. This helps the kids from getting overwhelmed by the new reality.
  6. Change in procedures & tools:Equipment which helps prevent/minimize dental aerosolization, droplet transmission and splatter are being used for the patients especially kids. Slower drills and rotations can prevent the spread of the virus. Protective equipment has become the standard. Safe disposal of these kits is mandatory.

Conclusion:

Kids dentistry in El Paso is active again. Our dentists in El Paso who practices at the Agave Dental Care have been following all the precautions to keep all the little visitors safe from coronavirus. Dial them or visit their website today.