Tooth be told: you should still go to the dentist during the pandemic

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – With so many experiences changing right now, dentists are trying to create a sense of normalcy.

One local dentist tells KSNT News why it’s so important to keep your appointments on the calendar and not put them off despite the pandemic.

We all may have forgotten what day it is once or twice during the pandemic and its definitely easy to fall out of your hygiene routine when you have nowhere to go.

That’s why dentists at Michel Dental in west Topeka are seeing increased need for dental care and they say you can rest assured that your visit will be safe.

“We do take staff’s temperature and all other patients as well, but the staff, we get their temp morning and after lunch. We are screening our staff as strictly as we are our patients,” said Dr. Lindsay Biggs.

While some procedures may seem elective, Dr. Biggs says putting off certain procedures can lead to possible hospitalization if we’re not careful.

“Untreated periodontal disease puts you at a higher risk for stroke or heart attack,” said Dr. Biggs. “A dental cavity can lead to an abscess that’s an infection that’s in the bone or the gum tissue around the tooth. If that progresses, that can actually spread to other areas like down in the lower neck area.”

She said something like that that could eventually lead to impaired breathing and become a much bigger issue that progresses rapidly.

You also might notice that it’s a little bit colder than usual inside their office.

The staff is wearing so much PPE that they’ve lowered the temperatures to give them a comfortable work environment and say that you may want to bring a coat into your appointment.

So grab a sweater to cover up those goosebumps because you won’t want to cover up your pearly whites after you’ve been taking such good care of them.