Is It Safe to Go to The Dentist During COVID?

Now that the pandemic has officially been going on for over six months, you may be worried that you are falling behind in your dental checkups. Or maybe you really need to have some dental work done. But is it safe to go to the dentist during a pandemic? The answer may surprise you.

Going To The Dentist Is Low Risk For The Patient

When you go to the dentist, you as the patient are actually at extremely low risk of contracting any sort of disease. This is because, while you are the one laying there with your mouth open, the dentist is the person who has to get up close and personal to your mouth. This is why dentists always wear masks—even in the days before the pandemic. To date, there has been no evidence of any sort of coronavirus transmission in a dental office since the reopening of the dental industry in May 2020.

The main reason dental offices were closed at the beginning of the pandemic was not that the CDC was worried about patient/dentist transmission, but rather because they were worried about transmission in waiting rooms. This is why when you visit the dentist you may be asked to wait outside and you will no longer find the waiting room outfitted with magazines or games for children.

Dentists Have Always Been Careful When It Comes To Disease

Any time you are working with the human mouth, disease is a huge concern. And in the days before the pandemic, dentists were already experts on protecting themselves and their patients from disease. This means when the pandemic hit, they were already more prepared than almost any other business. And in the days since they have only upped their use of certain PPE, making the dentist’s office one of the safest places you can visit.

Oral Health Is Important

Despite all of this, you may still be considering skipping your dental cleaning. This is not advised because oral health affects your overall health in several ways. Even though you may not realize it, infection or other small problem in your mouth could quickly cascade into something much more costly and serious to fix. And a problem within your mouth could spread to other parts of your body.

Different studies have shown that not resolving issues within your mouth can cause a higher risk of dementia, heart disease, and arthritis. And in a more recent study, it was found that COVID patients who also had gum disease had a greater risk of dying from respiratory complications. This is why you should especially prioritize your oral health during this pandemic.

Although deciding to visit the dentist during a pandemic can be a difficult one, but you can rest assured that dentists have long been trained in preventing the transmission of disease. And oral health is vital to your overall health, so pandemic or not, don’t be afraid and schedule your next dental check-up today.