Safety protocols when visiting the dentist
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has made wearing face masks and face shields mandatory in public areas like markets and shopping malls.
For health institutions like hospitals and clinics, it is vital for staff members to wear PPEs for added protection. Also, sanitation of the premises must be a priority, since the virus is transmissible via contaminated surfaces.
Before visiting the dentist, dental clinics nowadays, require their patients to book an appointment. Patients must undergo evaluation over the phone to ensure that they don’t experience symptoms of COVID-19.
In dental clinics, plastic dividers are often placed in reception areas to prevent close contact between the staff and people from outside. All staff members are also required to wear PPE to protect themselves from the virus.
The clinic must observe strict sanitation, especially of surfaces that people often touch like door handles, countertops, and chairs. Nowadays, a lot of clinics have air purifiers with HEPA filters, which help trap harmful particles in the air.
Before having the procedure, patients must undergo temperature checks as well as health evaluations. Some clinics encourage their patients to undergo a rapid test to confirm if the patient is COVID negative.
Being a dentist during the pandemic is a high-risk profession, thus having a strict disinfection protocol is needed to ensure the safety of the patients and the staff. To assure the safety of everyone, patients are encouraged to refrain from visiting the dentist, especially if it’s a non-emergency dental procedure.
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