{"id":281,"date":"2020-05-29T13:28:07","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T13:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/?p=281"},"modified":"2025-04-30T13:14:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T13:14:08","slug":"covid-19-dental-office-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/covid-19-dental-office-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Safety First: How Dentists Prepare for Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AdobeStock_343559577__1590755696_38821.jpg\" alt=\"Dentist wearing protective mask and face gear for COVID-19 protection\" class=\"wp-image-282\" style=\"width:300px;height:198px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AdobeStock_343559577__1590755696_38821.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AdobeStock_343559577__1590755696_38821-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AdobeStock_343559577__1590755696_38821-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dentists work with many patients\u2019 mouths throughout the day, so naturally basic safety precautions such as handwashing have always been important steps to take before any appointment. However, with the additional concern of COVID-19, your dental office has had to adopt new forms of dental safety protocol in order to treat patients without taking unnecessary risks that could spread an infection. If you\u2019re worried about your next appointment, you can take comfort in knowing that your practice is following these 4 steps to prepare for your visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Practicing Social Distancing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social distancing has become the new normal, and it\u2019s just as vital \u2013 if not more so \u2013 at dental practices. When you walk into the reception area, you\u2019ll notice that there are fewer chairs in order to ensure that patients are kept further apart at all times. One-way traffic is also enforced to control the movement of people throughout the room. There are other ways that practices are limiting contact between individuals, such as allowing patients to check in from their cars using their phones or sequenced patient scheduling (which simply means that fewer patients are being seen at a time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Daily Health Checks for Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to keep patients safe, dentists have to ensure that all of their team members are in excellent health every day. Everyone who works at the office must have their temperature taken at the start of the day, and they\u2019ll need to answer a series of questions. That way, appropriate action can be taken immediately if there\u2019s any possible sign of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Thorough Cleanings After Every Appointment and In the Evening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cleanliness has never been more important to dentistry than it is right now. After every visit, all non-disposable dental instruments, equipment, and surfaces in the operatory must be completely sanitized and disinfected. Such cleanings will occur multiple times every day, but for maximum safety, a thorough top-to-bottom scrub down is performed every night to ensure that there\u2019s still a safe, welcoming environment to greet patients in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Masks, Face Shields, and Protective Coats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dentists and hygienists were already required to wear face masks during procedures, but now even the front desk staff members will be using such protective gear. Additionally, any member of the team that directly works with the patient\u2019s mouth will need to wear a full face shield as well as a disposable protective coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are numerous other protections in place to help ensure that patients can safely receive high quality dental care. If you\u2019re curious about other changes your dentist has made, or if you have any additional concerns you want to express, call your practice to learn more about exactly how they\u2019re working to protect your health while improving your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">21<sup>st<\/sup> Century Dental of Irving offers the finest oral care services available. Led by Drs. Jeff Roy, Ashley Bristow, and Jonni Kumar, the staff ensures that each patient enjoys effective care and sincere courtesy in a friendly and calming environment. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry as well as denture services. To schedule your next dental checkup, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/contact-us.html\">contact the office online<\/a> or dial <strong>(972) 255-3712<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dentists work with many patients\u2019 mouths throughout the day, so naturally basic safety precautions such as handwashing have always been important steps to take before any appointment. However, with the additional concern of COVID-19, your dental office has had to adopt new forms of dental safety protocol in order to treat patients without taking unnecessary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dentist in Irving | Dental Safety Protocol | 21st Century Dental of Irving<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In addition to the traditional handwashing and use of protective gear, your dental office is taking these 4 steps to protect everyone from COVID-19.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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