Coronavirus Disease 2019: Should I Go to a Denture Clinic During the Outbreak?
COVID-19, first identified in Wuhan, China, has become a severe health challenge for many countries, including the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and pandemic disease due to its widespread nature, inaction, and severity. The source of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that 1,264 COVID-19 cases were reported in the US, and WHO reveals that 125,048 cases were reported globally.
Both CDC and ADA (American Dental Association) recommends every clinic, including health care centers, denture clinics, and urgent care centers, to follow infection control measures and take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and control the epidemic situation.
Read on to learn more about what CDC and ADA guidelines explain about visiting a denture clinic during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Should I Go for a Denture Cleaning During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
Going to a clinic to have denture adjustments or repairs or to have denture cleaning to prevent the swelling of gums, severe toothache, infection, or persistent bleeding in the mouth is still an important thing to do during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Wearing unclean dentures can lead to MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and pneumonia, a difficult-to-cure infection. So, you can go for a denture cleaning during the COVID-19 outbreak, but make sure you first contact your denture clinic to check on your appointment.
With the Threat of Coronavirus Everywhere, What to Do If I Have a Denture Emergency?
While the threat of coronavirus is dangerous, it is not advisable to ignore a serious denture emergency. Contact your denture clinic to schedule an appointment if:
- Your denture breaks
- A tooth chips or falls off from your denture
- Your denture becomes loose
- Your denture wears and develops sharp edges
- You have an infection around your denture implants
Your dentist will tell you if your condition requires scheduling an appointment immediately. You may experience further dental problems if these conditions are not addressed and treated on time.
How Does European Denture Center Protect Patients Against Coronavirus?
At European Denture Center, we strictly adhere to the CDC and ADA guidelines to prevent the transmission of the infection, which include:
- Ensuring our dentists, staff, and other associates have the personal protective equipment recommended by the CDC
- Screening patients for signs and symptoms of infection
- Taking patients’ temperature readings before performing dental procedures
- Autoclaving dental equipment and handpieces after each patient
- Using a rubber dam to decrease potential exposure to infectious agents
- Cleaning and disinfecting washrooms, door handles, chairs, and other frequently touched surfaces and objects
- Practicing and encouraging social distancing
- Using high-speed evacuation for dental procedures that produce an aerosol
- Informing patients to arrive on time for their appointments rather than too early
- Removing unnecessary objects from the waiting room and treatment areas such as books and magazines
- Encouraging patients to wash their hands with a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution before each appointment
When Should I Not Go to the Denture Clinic?
For the safety of dentists and other patients, you should not visit the denture clinic if you have:
- A fever, cough, or other respiratory problems
- Cold or flu-like symptoms
- Recently traveled outside of the country
- Had proximity with someone who has coronavirus
In such cases, you should visit your healthcare provider first and get proper treatment.
The coronavirus disease 2019 is a major concern for everyone. However, you should not ignore visiting your denture care clinic if you have serious denture emergencies. The CDC and ADA have advised all denture clinics to follow the guidelines to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus. Therefore, if your condition requires an immediate in-person visit, you can go to the denture clinic even during the COVID-19 outbreak. Just make sure your denture clinic follows proper precautions for infection control.
At European Denture Center, we have four convenient locations to serve you in Boise, Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho, Ontario, Oregon, and Everett, Washington.
