The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way Americans live and work. However, it hasn’t changed the importance of caring for your smile.
To safely serve our patients in Long Island City, NY, our office has adapted in several ways. If you’re wondering whether it’s safe to go to the dentist during the pandemic, read on to learn about how we’re keeping our patients and our team healthy at Queensboro Plaza Dental Care.
How Can I Protect My Smile During the Pandemic?
As always, the best defense to cavities and other dental problems is a good offense. Now more than ever, it’s critical to keep up with a daily oral hygiene routine at home. Brush your teeth twice each day for two minutes each time, brush your tongue every day, and floss daily to limit your risk for developing tooth decay, bad breath, discoloration, and gum disease. Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and avoid tobacco products.
In addition to at-home oral health habits, we recommend visiting our office every six months for a dental checkup and professional cleaning. We’ll let you know if you would benefit from more frequent visits!
How We Protect Patients Before Your Appointment Begins
We’ve made many changes to the way we run appointments during the pandemic. First, we’ll contact you prior to your appointment for a pre-screening. We also ask that you limit the number of people you bring with you to the appointment.
We may ask you to wait outside before your appointment to limit the number of people inside. Once you’re in our office, we’ll take your temperature and repeat the screening questionnaire. We have hand sanitizer available for your use.
Minimizing Risk During & After Treatment
During your visit, you’ll notice our team wearing more protective equipment than normal. We’ll ask you to rinse with a specialized rinse to reduce your risk for transmitting the disease. We have also adapted the way we use our air/water isolation devices to cut down on aerosol spread.
After your appointment, our team will thoroughly disinfect the treatment area. We schedule longer intervals between appointments to accommodate for the extra cleaning and to limit the risk of exposure.
To ask our team any questions about our safety procedures, family-friendly dental services, or appointment availability, contact us today!
