Dental care for general public during pandemic out break

Dr Parveen Lone
Coronavirus disease (COVID -19) is an infectious disease caused by a new, fresh (Novel) corona virus. As we all know disease is causes respiratory illness (like Flu) with symptoms of fever, dry cough, tiredness and respiratory difficulty in most severe cases. It spreads primarily through contact with infected person when they cough and sneeze. Touching the surface or object that has virus on it then touches their eyes face or nose. Disease can be serious and fatal if a person is older, and has underlying conditions like respiratory disease, hypertension, and heart disease or on immunosuppressant drugs.
During routine or normal days large no of patients including elderly people and children visit dental college and other hospitals for their dental treatment because dental disease are very common amongst all age groups. As almost all the world is under lockdown for prevention of this deadly viral disease which has affected around 5 lacs people globally,there can be problems for those having dental ailments. As a Dentist, maxillofacial and oral surgeon my advice to the public is to follow the instruction given by the Government to stay at Home and During this lockdown please follow the instruction below to take care of your teeth till we are free from this deadly contiguous virus.
* Take care of your teeth keep your mouth clean, maintain oral health
* Brush your teeth twice daily compulsorily (morning and before sleep)
* Floss your teeth regularly
* Do warm saline gargles twice daily (pinch of salt and warm Water)
* Take healthy and balanced diet like fruits, vegetables, nuts, homemade foods, milk, lemon water, and lots of water.
* Do exercises like yoga, skipping, climb stairs, play with your kids or walk on rooftop to stay fit and healthy
* Pray to God and do meditation for mental health
* Avoid soft and sticky foods, sugars, soft drinks, chocolates, especially children etc
* For children , Elderly and people with diabetes, hypertension or other heart disease, respiratory disease please keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and other systemic problems under control
Don’t visit hospitals unless urgent and consult the doctor on phone for any dental problems or before visiting hospital
Staying at home from my point of view :
Why stay at home is important is because if you stay at home there will be no accidents and injuries. Most of facial injuries and fractures we get in hospital are due to Road traffic accidents (71%,) You need to understand that in case of accident victims are lying on roads and sometimes unknown people are bringing victims to hospitals and you never know who is picking and bringing them to hospital.
In such situations how distance of one meter or 3 feet can be maintained, chance of getting viral infections are there. So if a person contacts virus, he can infect his family, his nears and dears, staff athospital, their families leading to community spread .So please stay at home to avoid facial or other injuries
Don’t visit hospital for :
Extraction (tooth removal), Filling and Root canals, scaling (cleaning of teeth), orth treatment like Braces, and Dentures (artificial teeth), because these are elective procedures means these procedures can be delayed and done latter on some patients are visiting hospitals because their treatment was going on, or appointments were given, or for follow-up, please don’t come for these things, talk to doctor on phone
Visits hospitals for absolute emergency conditions like patients with very severe Tooth ache, severe bleeding, facial fractures, and major injuries are emergencies for visit to hospitals. According to ADA, dental emergencies potentially life threatening conditions which require immediate treatment are severebleeding, diffuse extra and intra oral swelling or cellulitis that potentially compromise patient’s airway, trauma of facial bones that potentially compromise patient’s airway
For taking care of yourself, your family, community and our nation you can avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals.
For general public Dental College Jammu has issued list of all doctors working in IG, dental college for consultation for any dental problem. Please call the doctor before moving out of your house
Follow the instructions given by Government religiously like to stop coronavirus.
DO THE FIVE :
Stay at Home
Washing your hands
Avoid touching your face, nose eyes mouth etc
Keep distance of 1 meters or 3 feet
Avoid large, crowded places
Cough into elbow
(The author is (Professor & Head) Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Indira Gandhi Government Dental College Jammu and can be contacted at Mob No. 9419203131)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com

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