Life certainly has changed over the past few months. We hope that you are well and still able to find joy in your days (and in your flossing). Let's talk a little bit about why the COVID pandemic has impacted dental procedures.
SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is spread by respiratory droplets. These droplets can be aerosolized by coughing, sneezing, and by medical/dental procedures that combine air and water with bodily fluids. In a dental office, we use high speed drills, ultrasonic scalers, and air/water syringes to perform dental treatment. These instruments create a visible spray that contains large particle droplets of water, saliva, blood, and microorganisms, and it also contains aerosolized particles that continue to hangout in the air even after treatment has been completed. Breathing in an area where COVID has been aerosolized greatly increases your risk for aquiring and transmitting the virus.
Surgical masks protect mucous membranes of the mouth and nose from droplet spatter, but they do not provide complete protection against inhalation of airborne infectious agents. People who are unable to wear a mask (dental patients receiving treatment), have no protection at all.
According to the CDC, the virus has been shown to survive in the air for hours and on surfaces for several days. People may be able to spread the virus while pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic. Because of this, the CDC recommended that all non-emergent dental procedures be postponed for the time being.
This situation is new...to everyone. It is important to stress that the safety of our patients and our employees has and always will be a driving priority in our business. As you may have noticed, we use multiple plastic barriers. This does increase waste into our landfills, but it also minimizes a chance of exposure to any infectious disease between patients. Once you leave our office, the room you were in is completely stripped down and an antiviral wipe or spray is used on exposed surfaces. These are infection control procedures that have always been done at Brosy Family Dentistry and we will continue to closely follow CDC/OSHA guidelines to keep you safe.
As new information comes in, new recommendations and guidelines will follow. You can expect to see some changes in how your future dental appointments look. There will likely be new guidelines for waiting rooms, office equipment, and personal protective equipment for providers. One thing that will not change is the love we have for our patients and the passion we have for providing excellent care in the safest way possible.
Thank you for your support through this unprecedented time. We have such an amazing local community. We will get through this together! We are here for your emergent needs now and look forward to seeing your smiles for routine procedures as soon as we can. We'll keep you in the loop as the situation changes.
Best wishes,
Your Brosy Family