Dr Rabina Neupane
Few months ago, no one would have ever imagined that a microscopic microbe will consume the globe. Yet, it has. The international economy has shut down halting our lives, limiting families to their homes and affecting million of people worldwide.
But now we live in new-usual times. A month back, Nepal Dental Association(NDA) recommended that all dental clinics, dental hospitals to postponed elective treatment, which means we're only treating emergencies. The unique virulence and unknown qualities of this new coronavirus(COVID 19) result in possible transmission even with simplest procedures like cleanings, fillings, crowns and bridges. So we as dentists can’t treat typical dental needs in a safe and predictable manner at this time since Dentistry is classified in the very-high-risk category of occupations involved with aerosol production.
I got to know something weird with the people around us that stores, small shops started running out of the all the groceries and stuff. What I have noticed is that there has been no run for dental floss. Every store I visit remains well stocked. They’ve got waxed, unwaxed and mint. Floss buyers will be in good shape for the next few months as this novel virus runs its course.It comes as no surprise to me that floss supply remains unaffected. As a dentist, patients who run through a floss are few and far between. I will admit that patients who use floss and take a good care of oral hygiene generally don’t end up in our chair. When they do come to our clinics , they’re typically making the day of one of our dentist with their healthy gums and sparkling smiles. The flossers out there make the job of a dentist much easier. Flossers are the ones who pay attention to their oral health and in general don’t need to spend a lot of time in the dental clinics.
So what does this mean to dental patients?
It means that you should go buy some floss. Get a new toothbrush (soft bristles, please) and some fluoridated toothpaste. We’re going through a lot of stuff here, and it’s time for you to up your dental home care game. You won’t have the dentist to fall back on except for true dental emergencies for awhile.
What do we mean by a “dental emergency?” We’re talking about something that might cause a dental patient to go to the emergency room. You read that right. We’re only trying to keep people out of the Emergency room. So that’s uncontrollable pain, swelling, fever and infection.
You won’t be getting your teeth cleaned. You won’t be having that cavity fixed. We’re not going to be straightening your crooked teeth and we won’t be placing any implants for awhile.
In case you’re wondering how dentists and our teams are feeling about this.Make no mistake. It kills us to not be able to be there for you. The anger and fear going through our dental communities is palpable. A lot of good people are out of work and we’re sad that we’re not able to do what many of us feel we were called to do. When we’re able to, we’ll be back.
Go out and get some floss, folks. Learn to use it. Take care of yourselves, brush your teeth twice and stay safe!
