Whether you have a cavity from mindlessly snacking on sugary foods or a chipped tooth from stress-chewing on a pen cap, there are a variety of reasons why you may need to visit your dentist after weeks in quarantine. Even as the country begins to reopen, it’s essential to remember that social distancing is still the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19. How are you supposed to stay six feet apart from others when visiting a busy dental practice? Here are a few ways your Lincoln emergency dentist encourages their patients to stay safe when they come in for dental care during the coronavirus pandemic.
Seeing Fewer Patients
Although they’re anxious to see you and your beautiful smile again soon, dental practices aren’t scheduling as many patients as they used to before the pandemic. Seeing fewer patients every day minimizes the number of people you’ll come in contact with while visiting the office. In a less trafficked practice, you’ll be able to receive the dental care you need with a lower risk of exposure to COVID-19. However, this does mean that you might be offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
Space Between Appointments
In addition to seeing fewer patients, your Lincoln dentist will be spacing out scheduled appointments as well. This way, plenty of time and space is set aside for patients coming and going. You’ll also enjoy less waiting time and a less crowded waiting room. Between each appointment, the examination rooms and non-disposable dental equipment are thoroughly sanitized with hospital-grade disinfectants to clean away any lingering germs or infected particles.
Virtual Waiting Rooms
Since the COVID-19 pandemic is an ever-evolving situation, these heightened dental safety and infection control procedures are designed to adapt and change as needed. One precautionary step your dentist may implement is known as a virtual waiting room. This practice allows patients to check in for their dental appointment from the safety of their car instead of waiting in the reception area. Then, when the examination room is cleaned and ready, they’re called in and allowed to bypass the reception area entirely to go directly to their treatment room.
COVID-19 has changed how your dental appointments look, but it hasn’t changed your dentist’s commitment to your health and safety. If you need dental care during COVID-19, they can help you avoid the crowds while offering the treatment you need.
About the Author
At Smile Specialties in Lincoln, NE, you can expect to receive the same excellent oral healthcare you’ve come to expect with heightened safety precautions during COVID-19. Dr. Jennifer Reed has been helping smiles stay happy and healthy since 1993. Today, she continues to put the best interests of her patients first by offering the dental care they need in a healthy, clean, and germ-free practice. She has added numerous extra precautionary steps and infection control protocols to ensure the dental care you receive is as safe and comfortable as possible. If you’d like to learn more about what she is doing to keep her patients, staff, and community safe, feel free to contact her via her website or at (402) 488-5007.
