With the outbreak of the Coronavirus and the corresponding shutdown, It’s completely natural to wonder which, if any family dentist is open for business. For a long time it seemed that absolutely nothing was open for business besides McDonalds, the hospital, and the hardware store. Thank goodness for that last one. But as states are beginning their structured reopening other kinds of businesses are beginning to open their doors. Barber shops, retail outlets, and family dentists are all opening in the first phase for most states.
Which States Have A Family Dentist Open?
The list of states that have allowed a structured reopening of Family Dentists are as follows:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
In any of these states you can schedule an appointment with your dentist and have anything from an emergency appointment to a simple checkup performed. 4 states that are not yet open for business but have plans to do so within the next week are Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Vermont. All other states are still in a hard lockdown that is preventing dentists from opening their doors.
How To Protect Yourself And Your Family Dentist From Coronavirus
Clearly, worrying about your protection is going to come about when considering visiting the dentist during this pandemic. Protection from COVID-19 while at the dentist can be a challenging task since wearing a mask really isn’t an option. But there is quite a lot you can do to protect yourself, your dentist, and the patients around you! So cancellation or simply suffering through the pain is not at all necessary to keep safe.
The number 1 step in protecting yourself and others is of course, if you are feeling ill, stay home. If you are running a fever, or have a cough we politely ask you to contact your office and set a time to reschedule your appointment. Monitor your symptoms closely and if they worsen reach out to your healthcare provider and schedule a time to be tested and receive the proper medical care. Additionally if you have traveled or been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or it’s symptoms we ask that you follow the same procedures. Keep yourself isolated as much as possible for a period of 2 weeks. Closely Monitor your symptoms and reach out to a healthcare provider if necessary.
Other simple methods you can do to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to change out your toothbrush if you happen to get sick. Once you become sick it is possible for the virus to take root in your toothbrush, reintroducing the virus into your system even after you have gotten better. While this may not necessarily get you sick again, it can make you a carrier of the virus, infecting those around you. It helps a lot to regularly clean all your oral appliances such as dentures or water pic’s. This can act as another barrier preventing the virus from entering your system.
Our last tip is again a fairly simple suggestion, wash your hands. I know, we’ve heard this suggestion a thousand times. But we would like to be a bit more specific with it. Washing your hands before and after you perform tasks like flossing your teeth, or putting in or removing your dentures. This can play a huge role in preventing contamination of the tools you use. Keeping you better protected from introducing the virus into your system.
What To Do In States Where The Dentist Is Still Closed
When the family dentist is still closed due to the lockdown in your state, the best possible thing that you can do to keep your oral health in ship shape is first, make sure to brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth twice a day plays a huge role in the removal of plaque and bacteria from your teeth, preventing infection and the development of cavities.
Flossing regularly is just as, if not more important however. Removing the plaque and bacteria from the tight spaces in between your teeth is the best way to prevent the development of cavities and gum disease. Acids and bacteria love to settle in those tight spaces and eat away at the enamel of your teeth. This exposes the softer center of your teeth creating painful cavities and increasing risk for broken teeth.
Ast, but certainly not least has to do entirely with intake. Be careful to monitor your sugar intake. The bacteria in your mouth love to digest the simple carbohydrates that we ingest. When they do, they break them down into acids and plaque. Eliminating the root causes for cavities and poor oral health is by far the most effective method of avoiding challenges while the family dentist is closed.
Conclusion
Whatever situation your state may be in, please take great care to listen to the CDC and local officials regarding activities that they recommend to protect yourself and all of those around you from COVID-19. As long as we all work together and carefully reopen we will be able to restrict the spread of Coronavirus and be able to safely interact with one another. Even in the states that have reopened make sure you are doing your best to wear a mask, keep your distance, and stay home! Keep safe out there, and stay healthy!