Biosafety tips in dental practice to protect against Covid-19

Everything related to the health protection actions of patients and operators in dental practice can be considered as biosafety. In this sense, one of the best ways to stop the spread of the new coronavirus and protect your dental clinic is to first determine whether patients are carrying the virus before treating them.

Until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available to the entire population, the most effective method of reducing the risk of developing the disease is to avoid contact with anyone already infected. To help determine who is safe to treat, we have put together a list of pre-screening questions to ask your patients as soon as they enter the waiting room. See below:

Questions to determine if a patient can have COVID-19:
- Did you have a fever above 37 degrees?
- Do you have a sore throat?
- Do you have a cough?
- Are you short of breath?
- Have you been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks?
- Do you work in a clinic, hospital, nursing home or elderly care center?

What to do if you think a patient has COVID-19?

If a patient answers "yes" to one or more of the above questions, it definitely does not mean that he has the new coronavirus, but it is a possibility. If you think that a patient in your dental clinic is potentially a carrier, it is important to immediately isolate him in a separate room and ask him to contact the doctor immediately. Keep the patient away from everyone else until they receive instructions from their doctor. If you have too much, give them a mask to wear so that they are less likely to spread the virus to others within your dental clinic. Only people who wear full PPE should have direct contact with this patient at their clinic until their status is determined.

The sooner the better to identify the symptoms, although pre-screening of patients in the waiting area is an option, there is still a risk of infection, as the patient is already inside the dental clinic. One way to protect your dental office from infection is to determine who is at risk of being a carrier before you even open your door. You can do this by calling or sending a message via whatsapp to all your patients with future appointments and asking the pre-screening questions. This action is necessary to protect your other patients, staff and you from contracting COVID-19.

Dental professionals have a higher risk of exposure to viruses

Dental professionals are at a much greater risk of contracting respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, than people in other professions. For this reason, it is important that you take extra precautions to stay safe and limit the spread of coronavirus in your practice. Here are some steps you can take immediately to protect yourself from infections in the dental office:

- Reception

The waiting area offers a great opportunity to deal with patients' fears about COVID-19 and encourage them to do their part to prevent the virus from spreading. Remove unnecessary items from the waiting area, as the virus can survive for up to:
- 72 hours in plastic;
- 48 hours in stainless steel;
- 24 hours in cardboard and
- 4 hours on copper.

To combat the longevity of the virus, you must remove all unnecessary items from waiting rooms and work surfaces. While removing toys and magazines from your waiting area can negatively affect your patients' experiences, it is a crucial step in controlling the outbreak.

- Make hand washing convenient

It is recommended to increase the number of hand washing stations in your clinic with 75% alcohol and gel or sinks with soap and water. Whether you provide soap and water sinks or antibacterial handwashing, easy access to washing stations greatly increases the regularity with which people wash their hands. So it is important to make these hygiene options available.

Safety in dental practice

The treatment room is where the risk of getting the coronavirus is highest. In addition to the usual infection control protocols, start including the following recommendations in your daily practice routine to help fight the virus:

- Use washes with hydrogen peroxide

Decrease patients' oral bacteria by having them all rinse their mouths with hydrogen peroxide before contacting the dentist. Not only does this help stop the spread of infections, but it has also been shown to relieve sore throats, treat gum disease, soothe small sores in the mouth and whiten teeth.

- Avoid aerosol generation procedures

As stated, dental professionals are at a high risk of contracting COVID-19 because it is spread by droplets of body fluids, such as saliva. To reduce the number of droplets of body fluid in the air, avoid all aerosol generation procedures whenever possible.

- Ask patients to notify you if they start showing symptoms after attending

The best way to deal with the asymptomatic incubation period is to get patients to notify you if they start showing symptoms within 14 days after treatment at your clinic. This will help a lot to prevent the virus from spreading and to deal with the disease as soon as possible. To emphasize the importance of this simple act, it is worth considering writing an agreement and asking each patient to sign it before receiving treatment. I also sent the statement via WhatsApp and e-Mail directly from your management system.

Finally, be well informed, but don't panic. As a dental professional, you should be concerned about the coronavirus, but it is not something to lose sleep over. The best way to minimize your chances of getting the virus and protect your dental practice is to follow the advice of professionals and take it one day at a time.

The information provided here is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.

If you have any health problems, consult a specialist.

Thanks for reading!

Source: Dental Office. Available at: https://www.dentaloffice.com.br/proteja-sua-clinica-ou-consultorio-odontologico-contra-a-covid-19/. Access on: 06/23/2021.