Dental Care And Covid 19 – Spreading Facts Not Myths

CLINICAL CONTENT WRITTEN & REVIEWED BY CLOVE CLINICAL TEAM

Last Modified: April 11, 2022

FACT CHECKED

One of the most significant public health concerns that have disquieted the whole world today is the novel Coronavirus. All the major and the minor countries have been suffering from this pandemic globally. Millions of people have been affected by this novel coronavirus, which has impacted individuals’ minds, bodies, and souls. Keeping all these in mind, maintaining health, and taking self-care are paramount in today’s scenarios. This includes oral health care as well. Even before this covid pandemic, the prevalence of oral health-related problems was at its peak. About 2.3 billion people suffer from untreated tooth decay, and almost 530 million children have primary tooth decay, according to the global burden of diseases 2017.

Along with the covid pandemic, dental caries is one of the biggest health care concerns. With this covid pandemic, the re-examinations of oral health have faced many new challenges and threats and new opportunities. With a simple search of “dentist near me, “numerous oral health care providers and dental health care are available near you. It has been shown that preventing oral health diseases can reduce the risk of covid 19 to a great extent. An experienced dentist will help you with proper screening and will help you reduce this risk of developing any oral health diseases significantly. In this blog, we will discuss specific protective measures in dentistry in the pandemic and provide you with some tips to reduce the prevalent oral health diseases.

Protective measures in dentistry

Health care professionals of every field inherit the new norms in this long-term impact of covid 19. This is also implemented in the field of dentistry. Dental professionals adapt to the new norms and methods to be included while providing oral health care to patients. Unlike the other life-threatening infectious diseases, usually bloodborne, coronavirus is an airborne disease. The mode of infection in coronavirus is why it poses a significant threat to humankind. So for this, many precautionary measures have been implemented. Strict and secure screening of the patients before entering the dental setups.

Proper temperature monitoring, oxygen saturation, and cold and flu are some of the most important aspects that have to be taken care of. This ensures that the patient entering the dental setup is not a carrier or an infected individual. Infection control facilities like hand sanitizers mask and social distancing are necessary. Reducing the amount of aerosol in the dental clinic is one of the most important precautions to be implemented. For this, the amount of aerosol production is reduced, the air is purified by regulating the use of air purifiers, and maintenance of proper ventilation across the rooms, and improved air conditioning are implemented. Procedures that include the patient’s blood and saliva, appropriate isolation methods are followed diligently. Many new health promotional strategies have been implemented for both the patients and the dentists to reduce the risk significantly.

Oral hygiene and covid 19

Poor oral health affects the mouth and significantly impacts our whole body. It also includes the increased risk of contracting covid 19. Coronavirus is an airborne infectious disease mainly found in saliva and nasal discharge. Coronavirus enters a person’s body through the nose and mouth. From there, they travel to the body, where they infect the healthy cells. These causes a sore throat and other related symptoms. Maintaining proper oral hygiene can significantly reduce this risk. Maintaining a balance between pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria is all we need to do. Along with basic covid guidelines of hand sanitisation, social distance maintenance, and avoiding repeated contact with your face and nose, maintaining proper dental hygiene is also very important. For this, follow these simple instructions.

Be diligent with cleaning and disinfecting your toothbrush. Coronavirus may survive on the surface of a toothbrush for up to three days. So proper disinfection and cleaning of your toothbrush are critical. Rinse it with 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide for at least 15 minutes. Before brushing, do not forget to rinse your brush with normal water.
Replace your toothbrush every 3 months. This time can be reduced to even less in the covid pandemic, according to professionals.
Store your toothbrush in a safe and hygienic environment. Dry it after every wash. This will eliminate the growth of bacteria on its surface.
Regular use of antiseptic mouthwash will reduce the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth to a very great extent. This also helps in keeping your saliva healthy and pathogens-free.
Have plenty of fluid within a day to boost your immunity and reduce the food accumulation in the mouth.
Floss and brush daily. It will reduce plaque accumulation in the mouth.

Regular oral hygiene is important for a healthy mouth and a healthy body. Regular cleaning of the tongue and teeth will help you in many ways. This covid pandemic has increased oral health care in many people. It has provided new opportunities, renewed interest, and increased awareness of oral self-care. This will ensure you with improved oral health gains in the long term. Along with all this, professional guidance and regular screening of your mouth are also essential. At Clove, we provide you with a safe and hygienic environment, along with the best dental health care needs.