As vaccination rates increase and their patients return, dental practices are not simply going back to the way things were before the pandemic. In fact, most are working to ensure their business will be ready in case of another crisis, industry leaders say.
The state's shutdown of elective…
Less drilling, less germ spray: Dentistry adapts to the Covid era.
A root canal being performed in December in East Stroudsburg, Pa. Dental offices are operating in a markedly different way than they did before the pandemic.Credit.Jonno Rattman for The New York Times
By Deborah Schoch
Feb. 13, 2021
Without a doubt, dentistry is among the more intimate health professions. Patients must keep their mouths wide open as dentists and hygienists poke around inside with mirrors, scalers, probes and, until recently, drills.
But drills and other power equipment, including ultrasonic scalers and air polishers, can produce suspended droplets or aerosol spray that may hang in the air, potentially carrying the coronavirus, which could endanger patients and staff members.
The pandemic has forced dentists and hygienists to change some of the methods for maintaining good oral hygiene, to protect patients as well as themselves.