When Coronavirus (COVID-19) started, the entire world stopped. People avoided public places, offices, and traveling. Dental clinics were deemed non-essential, at least temporarily, which forced them to close.
After the pandemic hit, governments began to put measures in place to contain and control the virus (e.g. wear face masks, practice physical distancing, sanitize your hands, etc.). Businesses started to open and offer their services again. In Alberta, dental clinics started to quickly open, knowing how important it is for people to have dentists available to take care of their dental needs.
The Alberta Dental Association (ADA) created a COVID-19 guideline for dental clinics to follow to reduce the risks of spreading the infection. At Savanna Dental, we not only follow the ADA COVID-19 guideline, but go above and beyond for the safety of our staff and patients. Here is a summary of the measures we take to ensure your safety:
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- Staff must have basic knowledge of the disease, the infectivity, and modes of transmission and have ongoing training sessions around the ADA&C guidelines.
- Display posts with COVID-19 protocols and measures.
- Daily screenings of the entire dental team including having their temperature taken twice per day and completing a COVID-19 screening checklist.
- Screen patients on the phone and once they enter the clinic according to ADA&C COVID-19 guidelines.
- Maintain an up-to-date contact list for all staff.
- Ensure that all patients are wearing a mask when entering the clinic as required by the City of Calgary.
- Provide hand hygiene stations for patients.
- Promote physical distancing by maintaining 6 feet apart guidelines.
- Minimize the number of people in the clinic and minimize contact at reception.
- Require staff to wear masks at all times when in the clinic.
- Enforce hand hygiene to all staff by frequent handwashing and using hand rub before and after every patient.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces after every single patient including waiting area and public bathroom.
At Savanna Dental Clinic, we know how important it is to address tooth pain as it occurs. If you were not able to attend your dental appointment because of pandemic closures or if you are currently experiencing any kind of dental pain, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are open and accepting new patients, walk-ins, and dental emergencies.
COVID-19 Info. (2020, September 03). Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.dentalhealthalberta.ca/covid-19-info/
Social media and the internet are a good way to stay informed of news, trends, and things happening all around the world. These are also used as marketing platforms to promote products and services to attract new customers for businesses. It is impressive to see how many new products are being launched every day and it is even more interesting to see how a lot of these new products can be ordered online as Do It Yourself (DIY) kits.
Recently, we have seen that this is starting to happen in the medical sector, specifically in the dental world. Some companies have started to promote DIY invisalign teeth-straightening aligners that you can order online to try to correct and improve the appearance of your smile.
The DIY process involves ordering a kit to take a digital impression of the customer’s teeth. Based on the impressions, a licensed dentist or orthodontist will prescribe a series of custom-made aligners that are sent to the customer by mail with instructions on how to use them and when to switch from one into another to gradually move the teeth into the correct position. However, this process is not as easy as it sounds.
Most dentists recommend having a consultation first to assess your case and provide a plan to improve not only your smile but more importantly your oral health. Dental practitioners have extensive training to take precise impressions and assess how aligners will interact with or exacerbate pre-existing dental issues. Additionally, in-person dental visits are necessary to continuously assess your oral health and ensure that the aligners are doing their jobs. Without these in-person assessments with a professional, a patient runs the risk of causing permanent tooth damage, gum damage, and joint pain. The information that you share with your dentist and what they see during the dental visit is vital to provide dental care.
Technology is evolving at a rapid pace and everyday new and advanced tools are being created to make life easier. However, we do not recommend performing orthodontic treatments at home without first having an appointment with your dentist to assess your current dental condition.
At Savanna Dental in Calgary NE, we offer Invisalign invisible braces as one of our orthodontic services to improve the appearance of your smile. Visit us, and we will provide you with a free consultation. You can also contact us, and we’ll provide you with more information.
