Patients Experience Low Risk of COVID-19 Transmission During Dental Treatments

COVID-19 Safety Precautions Protecting Patients’ Oral and Overall Health

At Hanna Dental Group, our team has made the health and safety of our patients a top priority in everything we do. Our COVID-19 precautions are no exception. Dr. Hanna would like to ensure our community that we are going above and beyond when it comes to sterilizing, sanitizing, and implementing social distancing measures. Although many do not realize it, oral health plays a major role in the body’s overall health. Therefore, when patients visit us, we tend to both oral and overall health. In doing so, we take the following measures as recommended by the CDC:

• Screening patients before each appointment when they arrive for symptoms of COVID-19 like cough and fever
• Requiring masks for patients and anyone visiting the office while in common spaces as well as before and after appointments
• Placing a barrier between patients and reception staff
• Avoiding the use of powered tools when possible
• Only leaving out the tools necessary for the patient’s procedure to prevent the other tools from becoming contaminated
• Using aerosol-generating procedures in order to speed up the visit and minimize potential exposure

Furthermore, we would like to inform patients of emerging research demonstrating that the risk of COVID-19 transmission during dental treatments is very low. Researchers in a study out of Ohio State University that was published in the Journal of Dental Research “analyzed the genetic makeup of organisms found in air samples during a range of dental procedures” and found that “water solution from irrigation tools – not saliva – was the main source of any bacteria or viruses in the spatter and spurts from the patients’ mouths.”

The study was also mentioned in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and reported the following message: “Even when low levels of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected in the saliva of asymptomatic patients, the aerosols generated during their procedures showed no signs of the coronavirus. In essence, from a microbial standpoint, the contents of the spray mirrored what was in the office environment.”

In even more optimistic news, according to NPR, the World Health Organization and the CDC says there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 transmitted in a dental office so far. These findings confirm the safety and discernment of going to the dentist regularly and as scheduled. The exact duration at which patients should go to the dentist varies based on their individual needs, but for most people, dentists recommend having a cleaning and checkup twice a year.

At Hanna Dental Group, we remain hopeful but diligent about helping our patients and navigating these difficult times together. To quote St. Ignatius of Loyola, we aim to “work as if everything depends on us, for it does. Pray as if everything depends on God, for it does.”

To learn more about how our team is working to keep you safe through COVID-19 and through your smile’s lifetime, call Hanna Dental Group at (201) 720-1471 or contact us online.