While some coronavirus restrictions are due to be lifted here in Pennsylvania soon, many dentist offices remain closed for the most part.
Newswatch 16’s Ryan Leckey shared tips on what you can do if you have a problem with your teeth.
Although offices are closed for routine treatments, there is some dental care still available during this pandemic.
Ryan talked with a dental surgeon from the Back Mountain of Luzerne County about the state of dentistry these days.
"Yes, so all clinics have been closed currently for elective care and we have been instructed by the ADA and CDC with guidelines that suggest we do not do any elective care at this time," Dr. Mahima Singh said.
Dr. Mahima Singh is a Dental Surgeon, Oral Cancer Prevention Advocate, and mother of four who lives in Shavertown who has been practicing in our area for 11 years.
In those years, Dr. Singh has never experienced anything like what’s happening now in dental care.
"Because of the special nature of a dental clinic and the, you know, and what happens in the air with the drill and ultrasonic cleaners, it’s just not a safe place right now," Dr. Singh said.
That’s why routine treatments, like teeth cleaning, are now on hold.
"Emergency services right now will be provided if you do not have COVID-19 symptoms in the dental clinic setting and for that, you have to check with your own dentist," Dr. Singh said.
If you do have COVID-19 symptoms and you need emergency treatment, here's what Dr. Singh said will happen.
"It would have to be in a hospital that has dental capabilities. So, depending on how severe the patient, we have to have minimal staff in there, and of course, head-to-toe PPE and the treatment can be done with an N95 mask and face shield, all those guidelines are in place” Dr. Singh said.
Whether a patient has COVID-19 symptoms or not, emergency dental care is only available for those who really need it.
"So that has to be something really serious," Dr. Singh added.
If you're uninsured or underinsured, here's where to go:
Go to the Free Dental Care website at this link.
Type in your state. The website will post a list of non-profit dental clinics by cities in your state. Although their list is exhaustive, there is one more clinic for Luzerne County. It's called Volunteers in Medicine located in Wilkes-Barre, PA. All clinics in the state of Pennsylvania have mandated closure until April 30, as of now. All clinics are trying their best to accommodate emergencies the best they can. No elective care is being provided in any clinic until the ban is removed.
Dr. Singh is also one of many dentists in our area who offer their services at free clinics and says help is out there if you really need it.
"Don’t hesitate to call if you really are in a fix and need some dental care and, you know, the doctors will try to get you in contact with somebody who can take care of you,” Dr. Singh said.
More tips courtesy of Dr. Singh:
Cleaning, Prevention, Pain Management, and Whitening at Home:
- CLEANING: Brush 2 times a day and yes, do floss! Brush after having tea, coffee, red pasta sauce, turmeric, etc to stop stains before they start.
- PREVENTION: Use fluoride. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania do not have fluoridated water. It will be a while before you might be able to get regular dental care of a non-emergency nature. You want your children and yourself to not get any cavities, especially during this time. Make sure you contact your child’s pediatrician or dentist for fluoride tablet prescription. If children get fluoride during the developmental stages of their teeth, the teeth will be inherently more resistant to cavities in the future. Topical fluoride, as found in toothpaste and mouthwash, has temporary benefits for children and adults.
- PAIN MANAGEMENT: Call your dentist and see if you may need an antibiotic. Ibuprofen is okay and still the most effective for dental pain. The initial claims based on the Lancet Journal were of good intention, but also got paired with misinformation and lack of information. Those claims were based on commentary and not a scientific article. Always check with your physician or dentist but in an otherwise healthy individual, who is not in a high-risk environment, ibuprofen is not a contraindication right now as data is coming up in support of this now. Emergency care will still be provided. No elective care will be provided as per the guidelines.
- WHITENING AT HOME: Use baking soda. You can mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of water to make a paste and brush your teeth with it after your regular brushing in order to remove stains at home in a safe and effective way. Caries bacteria don’t like baking soda also as its alkaline. Store-bought whitening kits can cause sensitivity and you don’t want any of that at this time especially.
Telemedicine: how and why?
- WHY? You are unsure if you have an emergency or not. You are a cancer patient or suspect you might have oral cancer and need a biopsy. Need consultation (free and confidential) for a non-emergency dental or medical issue.
- HOW? Just go the Mundaii website or any other Telemedicine website. You can also download the free Mundaii app if you want. This particular platform has been around for a few years and was developed by local doctors from Jenkins Township so all the kinks have been worked out and the website and the app work very smoothly. Their customer service is excellent also. There is also a link to my profile on the website if you want to ask Dr. Singh any questions directly.
About Dr. Mahima Singh:
Dr. Singh is a Dental Surgeon who graduated from NYU College of Dentistry and has been practicing dentistry for 11 years in northeastern Pennsylvania. She is a wife, mother of four children, and two Irish Wolfhounds, and lives in Shavertown. She is on the advisory board for the HPV Oral Cancer subgroup with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and is the former Dental Director of Volunteers in Medicine clinic in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She is also our Ms. Pennsylvania 2019 and an Oral Cancer prevention advocate and spokesperson.