We are about to mark the one-year anniversary of our nation’s collective COVID-19 shutdown. Montgomery County, Md. and Washington, D.C. – where my two practices reside – went into lockdown on March 13, 2020.
Resilience is a word that is sometimes overused, but it was definitely more appropriate than ever in 2020. I am so proud of the schoolchildren who are my patients. They learned to … well … learn in a whole different way over the last 12 months. And parents? They are my superheroes! I cannot imagine working from home while monitoring schoolwork.
I am also proud of my staff and my fellow orthodontists and dentists. Even though we know the care we provide is essential, last spring we were kept for many weeks from doing what we love and what we know is a vital service to our community. We didn’t know when our livelihoods would bounce back … or if they would.
I’m especially proud that, since our practices opened up again last summer, we have proven that our offices are safe places where patients can get routine and emergency care in a COVID-free environment.
According to a new study published in The Journal of Dental Hygiene, the estimated prevalence rate of COVID-19 in U.S. dental hygienists is low. In fact, a survey of nearly 5,000 hygienists revealed only 3.1 percent had ever tested positive or been diagnosed with the virus. Masking up keeps the virus from spreading!
That study came after one published in October 2020 in The Journal of the American Dental Association that indicated fewer than one percent of U.S. dentists had been diagnosed with COVID-19. That result was far below the rate of other U.S. health professionals. The Journal also reported 99 percent of dentists were using enhanced infection control procedures such as screening protocols when treating patients.
We are committed to patient safety.
My practices not only have increased screening protocols and disinfection practices – I am scrubbing and hand sanitizing so much now that I sleep with gloves and moisturizer on my hands! – we have altered our personal behavior outside of the office to ensure our offices stay COVID-free.
I love to travel and have not been on a plane since last February. We are not carpooling with friends and neighbors – and we are not taking car or ride shares either – and we are celebrating birthdays and other family milestones from the safety of our own homes, with only those who live under our roofs. And, of course, we are excited to report that, as frontline healthcare workers, most of us have received our COVID-19 vaccines!
We miss social interaction and vacations just like everyone else, but with so many people still unvaccinated, going on a little weekend jaunt is not worth the risk.
While our practices were deemed non-essential at the beginning of the pandemic, we also know now that dentists, orthodontists, and other oral health experts actually can help diagnose COVID-19. According to Dr. Aravindhan Karunakaran, the virus can cause lesions on the tongue that might be the only symptom of COVID-19.
I hope these measures and this academic research will reassure parents and caregivers. According to a survey by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, 40 percent of parents have avoided seeking dental care for their children during the pandemic, citing concerns about infection, office closures, and cost.
Not only does this set a bad precedent about how children will view dentists and orthodontists long-term (they’re scary or non-essential), it threatens overall health. What happens with your teeth can impact everything from quality of sleep to heart health. And, according to a report in Dentistry Today, patients with COVID-19 and gum disease were 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator, and almost nine times more likely to die than those without gum disease.
Dental care is essential. And during COVID-19, it is safe.
