Dental Offices and the Executive order on the Coronavirus

Q: Will I be allowed to finish my work at my dental office even though I would not consider it an emergency, as I am not in pain? However, I am in plastic temporaries which keep falling off and I need to finish my work in order to attend to relatives out of state which I must drive to.

A: Yesterday my son and I were so board we decided to brush Casey’s teeth. (He is a Chipin; half Chihuahua, half min-pincher) He goes by the name Casito (pronounced kay-see-tow; accent on the “see”).

Since my son is graduating dental school, God willing, May 17th, I didn’t want him to come up short on fingers; so I held Casito’s mouth open and painted chicken flavored toothpaste over his canines. (Hey, how come our eye teeth are not called “humans”?) Dr. J. Jr. then went in like a Navy Seal, commando style and brushed what he could. After we were done, Casito asked if we had any samples of toothpaste. I told him we have to watch our overhead right now, but in a month check back with us.

Dental offices are open for business. Some will voluntarily choose to close, some will be open with an emphasis on emergencies. I am worried that the public thinks that only toothaches are emergencies. The governor’s executive order 20-72 from March 20th, 2020 shows that doctors still need to treat conditions that, “if delayed”, places the patient’s well-being at risk, or if delayed can contribute to the worsening of a serious medical condition.”

Here is a list of possible reasons why you should still call a dentist and let he or she make the judgement on whether you need to be seen:

• Tooth ache not relieved by over the counter pain meds
• Facial swelling
• Temporary crown lost or broken
• Fractured implant prosthesis
• Loose implant
• Gum swelling
• Puss or bad taste emanating out of an area
• Loose crown or bridge
• Post op complication to a recent implant, periodontal or extraction surgery

You dentist may be able to guide you without seeing in the office
Best of luck during these difficult times.