From regular checkups to sudden emergencies, a dental team always needs to be ready for the next patient. But thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the old standard of simply washing hands and putting on new gloves isn’t enough to completely ensure the safety of everyone who walks into a dental practice. Your dentist in Inwood Village cares about your overall health, and as such they are making sure their team has prepared a sterile, safe environment for you with these 4 precautions.
1. Screening Questions
Have you been tested for COVID-19, or are you experiencing symptoms that might point towards the disease? It’s important for your dentist to know ahead of time whether or not there are any warning signs they should be concerned about so they can take appropriate precautions to protect other patients while also making sure that you’re able to receive dental care when you need it the most. You’ll be asked some screening questions before the day of your appointment, and the staff will give you the same questions once you arrive at the office.
2. Hand Sanitizer
Keeping your hands clean is a basic yet vital step when it comes to health and hygiene. For that reason, all patients will be provided hand sanitizer to use upon walking into the office. Of course, you may need to clean your hands several times throughout your visit for various reasons, which is why sanitizer will be placed in various strategic locations for your convenience.
3. Spaced Appointments
Some people might find it a challenge to practice proper social distancing, especially in a relatively small area such as the average dental waiting room. Fortunately, limiting the amount of contact patients have with each other is actually quite easy; all the practice needs to do is schedule each visit so that they’re spread further apart. That makes it much easier to control traffic in the waiting area and helps keep those who have a higher risk when it comes to COVID-19 as safe as possible. This does mean fewer appointments are available each day, but on the other hand it also reduces waiting times.
4. Thorough Cleanings
Every instrument that is used during a procedure as well as every surface or piece of equipment that could have potentially been exposed to anything infectious needs to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before the next patient is allowed to enter the treatment area. At night, once the office has closed, the entire office is scrubbed clean again to ensure that the environment remains as free of bacteria and viruses as possible.
Other precautions may be taken as well; call your practice to ask about all the changes you should expect during your next visit. Remember, there’s no need to ask “Is the dentist near me safe?”; even as the situation evolves, so will the methods dental practices use to provide safe, healthy services to their patients.
About the Author
Dr. Davina Prida earned her degree at Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, where she graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). She is a member of the Dallas County Dental Society, Texas Dental Association, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Prida is also a member of the Texas Army National Guard. One of her main focuses is creating beautiful Smiles. She ia a Top Dallas Dentist Providing High Quality Dental Care, General Dentistry, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Implants, and Reconstructive Dentistry. Dr Davina Prida is fulfilling her vision of bringing the very best in cosmetic dentistry, reconstructive dentistry and general dentistry to Dallas at Inwood Village Dental. Dr. Prida’s approach of dental excellence and her use of advanced techniques, create the most natural, beautiful smiles possible. Dr. Prida is Dallas’ top cosmetic dentist, creating amazing smile makeovers with veneers, dental implants, dental crowns and bridges and Invisalign®. If you have questions about your dental treatment or dental care options, don’t hesitate to contact her at Inwood Village Dental or at (214) 352-2777.