How safe is your dental clinic?

How safe is your dental clinic?

Introducing “Dental New Normal” – from prevention measures to world-class technologies to ensure the health and safety of every patient

As we are reaching the end of the first half of 2020, no one can deny how impactful the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is. The coronavirus disease, or “COVID-19” as it’s become known, has caused widespread disruption throughout the world. Many countries, including Thailand, have imposed a lockdown to cope with the spread of the virus. And as a result, our daily living activities – from stepping out of our house to do grocery shopping to getting on public transport to travel to work – have become a struggle

Obviously, one of the most affected areas is the healthcare industry. While medical workers are working tirelessly to battle the pandemic on the frontline, many people are also hesitating to visit healthcare facilities, particularly dental facilities. Afraid of contracting the disease, most patients have been choosing to postpone or even cancel their dentist appointments since it’s a well-known fact that COVID-19 can be easily transmitted through close contact via respiratory droplets. Thus, places like dental clinics and dental centres are at high risk of spreading the virus.

However, oral and dental health should not be neglected. We all know how terrible it feels to have a toothache, hypersensitive teeth, or gum pain. These symptoms are not just temporary discomfort in our daily activities but may also result in long-term periodontal diseases.

But how can we know which dental clinic is safe and which is not? Which one enforces the appropriate level of oral hygiene and safety so we can rest assured that we can have high-quality dental procedures without the risk of viral infection?

Understanding the patients’ needs and recognising their valid concerns, the Digital Dental Center at Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital has implemented an extra level of hygiene and safety measures to reduce chances of viral transmission amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These preventive measures can be considered the next step towards the “Dental New Normal” – an improved and more-sophisticated standard of dental practices – which helps minimise the spread of the disease, as well as ensures patients of their safety and well-being while receiving state-of-an-art dental services at the Digital Dental Center. The measures imposed at the Center are as follows:

The minute a patient steps inside Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital, they must go through a body temperature scanning and travel history screening process to ensure that they are not at risk of being a carrier of COVID-19. Inside the hospital, Social Distancing measures are still strictly in place. Patients are seated separately and farther apart. And to ensure the highest level of hygiene, all surface areas are thoroughly cleansed and disinfected every 30 minutes. All the tools and equipment are also cleansed regularly after each patient.

In regards to dental procedures, there are both hygienic and preventive measures. To maintain the utmost level of hygiene, dentists, nurses, and all personnel must wear protective gear at all times. Dental equipment and materials in the operative rooms are sterilised with high-pressure cleaner which is the same standard used for cleanrooms. Furthermore, the Center has installed ActivePure air purification system. It is the only air cleaning technology awarded the prestigious Certified Space Technology seal by the US Space Foundation, guaranteed to disinfect the air and surfaces of viruses and bacteria within the Digital Dental Center 24 hours a day.

• As for preventive measures, the main focus is to minimise the diffusion of contaminated droplets. For example, the Center uses Electrical Motor Handpieces which completely eliminates the use of conventional air-driven tools which create unnecessary and dangerous aerosols. High Power Extraoral Suction, professional equipment that focuses air suction at the mouth to remove mouth-borne droplets before they can enter the room is also used. Rubber Dam Kit, meanwhile, provides an impenetrable barrier over the patient’s mouth, reducing exposed areas to a single tooth or tiny gum area, minimising contamination opportunity. Finally, ActivePure technology certified by NASA provides air- and surface-cleaning technology that supercharges air molecules to destroy 99.99% of known flu viruses.

At the moment, it remains unknown when the current COVID-19 epidemic will be dissolved. Although the government has begun to ease some lockdown restrictions, a number of services are still unavailable and many people are still too worried to resume normal activities. Dr. Sornyut Ounmuang, Director of the Digital Dental Center at Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital, revealed that there are a lot of patients who are suffering from dental and oral problems but are too afraid of viral infection to receive proper treatment. He reassured that the new measures implemented at the Digital Dental Center minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, they are considered the “New Normal” of dental care services. Therefore, patients can rest assured and receive treatment without any worries.

For more information about Digital Dental Center, visit www.thonburibamrungmuang.com or call 02-220-3822 or Hot line 084-228-3682, 064-585-1812

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