A: Here are a few factors to consider: (1) Your individual risk/benefit tradeoff; (2) The amount of circulating disease in your community; (3) The dentist’s infection control protocols.
Heading back to the dentist safely is top of mind for the Nerdy Girls, as several of us have logged some serious time in the dental chair this week (Editorial note: this includes Yours Truly). We recognize that many other Dear Pandemic community members are facing the same dilemma, and we’re here to help you balance the risks!
First, the bad news. As a recent NPR article candidly articulates, there’s no way to completely eliminate coronavirus transmission risk in dental encounters.
Now for some better news: The CDC has issued new infection control guidance that dental settings have faithfully adopted. An important note of context: Dentists and their teams have every incentive to implement all infection control tools at their disposal, as they face a high level of exposure risk caring for patients. Please send out some good vibes to honor their bravery as essential workers.
So how, specifically, can we as patients balance the pros and cons of dental appointments?
Here’s the framework that I used, and I hope it’s helpful for others:
(1) INDIVIDUAL RISK/BENEFIT TRADEOFF
I balanced the risk of possible (if unlikely) transmission exposure against the (grateful!) recognition that my family members and I are young and healthy. I also had to honor that I’ve been experiencing acute tooth pain and would benefit greatly from seeing the dentist.
(2) COMMUNITY CONTEXT
There is currently very little circulating disease in my rural college town, which may or may not remain the case when an influx of students from around the country (and indeed, the world) returns to campus this fall.
(3) DENTIST’S INFECTION CONTROL PROTOCOLS
My dentist’s office was the epitome of cleanliness and infection control prior to COVID, and I did some research to confirm that they have implemented all of the newly recommended CDC and American Dental Association protocols.
Taking these three considerations into account, I decided to receive dental care. I recognize that my pro/con “ledger” was pretty easy to reconcile, and that others’ may not be. Who can help you with this reconciliation? Your primary care physician – they have perhaps the best-tuned compass to support your decision-making. [EDITORIAL NOTE: FYI, a wonderful Nerdy Guest, Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, recently posted about whether or not it’s safe to go back to the doctor. TL;DR: Yes.] For those seeking a better understanding of the interplay between individual risk and community risk (factors #1 and #2 above), please check out Nerdy Girl Malia’s amazing visual teaching tool, COVID-CRUSH.
And remember – we remain your faithful probability (aka risk/benefit) coaches, and will continue pushing out information to help you navigate pandemic-induced uncertainty and information overwhelm!
-Lindsey
