We’ve been hearing for months that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t just taking its toll on our mental health, it’s taking its toll on our physical health, too – even for people who have never had the illness. Between the anxiety and depression of quarantine isolation to the fears of contracting the illness out in public, we are living in stressful times indeed.
But now, new data is coming out about just how dangerous this pandemic is for those of us who haven’t contracted the virus. One such way is via our oral health. Initially, it was thought that with so many people home in quarantine, this might be an opportunity for people to ‘brush up’ on their oral health. But in many cases, the opposite has become true. People are taking worse care of their oral health, whether they are skipping brushing and flossing, or avoiding dental appointments.
Of course, part of this is not anyone’s fault, as many dental clinics were closed during quarantine, but now that many practices are open, dentists are seeing a surge in patients with serious dental problems that were likely made worse by patients unable or unwilling to see the dentist during the pandemic.
In the United Kingdom, The Guardian reports that half of UK children have missed dental appointments due to the pandemic, and that number has dentists very worried.
Your regular dental checkup isn’t just to clean your teeth- it’s to check the health of your teeth and gums. The problem with waiting is if there is an actual problem with the teeth and gums, it could get a lot worse before the dentist has time to see the patient, making repairs more costly and even more painful than they might have been had they been caught sooner.
Dental experts now recommend that with businesses reopening, now is the time to schedule that appointment you’ve been putting off. Whether it’s for a routine exam and cleaning or to have dental restorations performed, do yourself a favor and don’t hold off any longer. Most dental clinics are well equipped to provide safety measures to their patients that will help prevent COVID-19 and keep patients safe.
Dr. Abelar’s office has its own safety protocols, which you can look up right here on his website.
