The Coronavirus Conundrum: Should I Go To The Dentist During a Global Pandemic?

Nobody here needs a lecture on COVID-19. Even my 4 year old knows all about it. It is pretty much all we hear about these days. So, I am sure that you have seen during the past 6 months dental offices skyrocket into notoriety. I wish that I could say that it was good press, but sadly, the news is about the dreaded aerosol. Aerosols are tiny droplets of water that occur during pretty much every dental procedure, but also when you laugh, cough or talk forcefully. Based on all the scientific research so far, this can cause greater risk of spread of coronavirus.

SO, the majority of dental offices in the United States were forced to shut down in March 2020 except for emergency procedures to do our part and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, you might be wondering what changed and why did dental offices open back up? Is it safe?  Should you be going to your cleaning and preventative appointments?  Let’s talk about it.

Historically, dental offices are CLEAN. We are total germaphobes. I know, I know. You wonder how somebody who does a job covered in spit could be a germaphobe, but I tell you it is the truth. If the historical precedent wasn’t enough, we have upped our game! Next time you are at the dentist, you may be greeted by an astronaut. All joking aside, in addition to our entire staff being vaccinated our personal protective equipment (PPE) is out of control right now. At a minimum, we are wearing the highest level of masks (ASTM level 3 or N95/KN95) with another surgical mask on top, a faceshield and some sort of clothing cover/jacket that is changed between each patient. We have been staggering patients, lengthening appointments, waiting for aerosols to settle between people and using massive amounts of cavicide, and making patients use hand sanitizer and specific mouth rinses before treating them. Some dental offices are also using hypochlorous acid foggers to kill anything lingering in the air. Most dental offices now have air purifiers and UV lights to disinfect the air. There are pre-screening questionnaires and required mask wearing. If you can think of a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID, it is likely your dentist is using it.

So, will all of those precautions implemented, dental offices were allowed to reopen and “go back to normal.” All the dentists suited up and headed back in.

And still, there was skepticism as to whether or not you should go to the dental office.

On the flip side, the news has also widely discussed increased risk of contraction of COVID-19 with specific comorbidities. If you are hypertensive or have type II diabetes, you are at higher risk. People should be on their health “A” game right now to protect themselves, their families and their community. What some people may not know is that hypertension and type II diabetes is also linked to higher incidence of periodontal (gum) disease and with type II diabetes higher cavity risk also. A study called “The Mouth COVID Connection” set to be published in October 2020 in the Journal of the California Dental Association shows that gum disease creates increased body inflammation by way of a protein called IL-6. This increased inflammatory protein has now been proven to increase the risk of death with COVID -19. Going to the dentist regularly, helps to keep both of these disease processes in check and are initially suspected at the dental office. Going to the dentist may actually help save your life. I believe that we should all be doing whatever we can to help decrease inflammation throughout our bodies at this time, i.e. get your dental cleanings, eat gluten/grain free, increase antioxidants. Think cucumbers, lol.

Another interesting tidbit that has come about are the oral manifestations or signs that you may have COVID-19. Now lets be clear here, if you have COVID-19, we don’t want to see you at Magnolia. Nobody wants to take that risk. However, with so many asymptomatic carriers, you may not always know and our screening tools are not iron clad. The newest research shows numerous oral signs/symptoms that may prompt you to seek care from a dentist instead of your primary care physician. Numerous reports have shown a loss of taste/smell to be a cardinal sign/symptoms of COVID-19, and in some cases this may be the only symptom. Loss of taste has been associated with decreased salivary stimulation (ie you produce less spit) and can then result in a burning tongue sensation.1  I don’t know about you, but people usually end up in my chair and not in front of their physician with burning tongue. Another finding has been that COVID-19 may trigger other secondary symptoms due to deterioration of your health. For example, they have found higher incidence of cold sores, blisters, rash inside your mouth, and geographic tongue just like with manifestations of other viral illnesses.2

So here we are, 6 months into this global pandemic. As many businesses are continuing to open up, dental offices are here for you too. I argue that there has never been a more important time to be going to the dental office regularly. It is CLEAN, it is safe and it is necessary for your health. I hope that dentists continue to gain notoriety as being leaders in infection control and whole person wellness. Here at Magnolia Dentistry on Market we are committed to leading that shift in the dental experience.