And the Oscar goes to…
written by Jimmy Kilimitzoglou, DDS of e.s.i. Healthy Dentistry for Creations Magazine
Dentistry! For best supporting actor. If professions were actors, the top recognition would go to Medicine. During the novel coronavirus pandemic, the specific medical disciplines that are in the spotlight now are epidemiology, public health and infectious disease. We are so grateful to the doctors, nurses and supporting hospital staff who are taking care of patients suffering from respiratory illness.
So where does dentistry fit in? The main mode of COVID-19 transmission is through airborne droplets entering the oral cavity or nasal cavity. That is why health authorities recommend using masks, washing hands and avoiding touching your face. The mouth is not only a portal to the digestive system but also to the respiratory, immune and circulatory system.
Through social distancing, hand hygiene, disinfecting groceries and packages, we try to protect ourselves from getting sick or transmitting the virus to others. However, another main strategy is to boost our immune system. Having a well balanced diet rich in whole foods, fruits and vegetables is always a challenge and even in ideal situations, we never really get enough nutrients. This is the time to ensure we load up on Vitamins A, D, C, B6, B12, K2. Taking probiotics, elderberry, echinacea, turmeric and mushroom extract not only act as anti-inflammatory agents but also as powerful antioxidants.
All of these supplements will ensure you that your oral health is optimized, but more importantly that your immune system will be running on all cylinders so that if a tiny little virus sneaks into your body, you will be ready to fight back. And let’s not forget to stay hydrated, floss and brush our teeth. We don’t have time to deal with oral problems right now so we must not neglect our oral hygiene.
Having said that, what do you do if you or someone you love experiences a bad toothache? A broken tooth? Mouth pain? Dental infection? Swelling? A broken denture? Dentistry as a profession is here to help. Even though we were originally mandated to close, dental offices were open to see dental emergencies. In fact, our main responsibility is to relieve the burden from hospitals. By treating urgent dental needs we prevent patients from visiting emergency rooms in hospitals where they may be exposed to COVID. Moreover, hospital workers can focus on treating COVID-19 patients.
In order to be seen in a dental office, it starts with a phone call. We will spend a good amount of time with you screening for COVID exposure. We triage everyone accordingly and oftentimes we can utilize tele-dentistry through a videoconference where you can consult with a doctor. If we cannot help you remotely, we can set up an office appointment.
If you do come to the office, you will notice that we have a different look. Please pardon our appearance. This is not how I want your experience to be; cold, distant, barriers, sneeze guards, no magazines, our team members with masks. We are responding to this pandemic and are going above and beyond the guidelines of the ADA, CDC, WHO, NYS DOH, in order to ensure everyone’s safety, especially yours.
We remain passionate, optimistic and eager to work hard in order to provide the absolute best oral health care for you, because you deserve it.
Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane, stay home.
