While at a non-routine dentist appointment today, I learned of several things the staff has had to do differently due to COVID. The surprising thing is that these “extra” measures were positively received by staff and they plan to keep it up!
The dentist told me she plans to wear a face shield whenever working with patients in the future because she was surprised by the amount of splashes on the shield after use.
The office invested in a new tool (like this thingy) to provide a barrier between a patient’s tongue and area of the mouth that isn’t part of the procedure. I benefited from this tool because it allowed me to be a bit lazy and not have to actively open my mouth for the drilling (ugh the drilling, the sound!). The tool also had a suction feature that enabled the hygienist to assist the dentist more instead of tending to my drool.
Maybe there are some precautions or gear that are new to your workforce since COVID… Make sure to provide time/space for feedback on what’s working and what can be fine-tuned to be a more sustainable control. If there’s something that is worth sharing, let me know about it!
If you like my SAFE AF neck gaiter, you can get your own or find a design to your liking at Vicki’s Safety Creations.