IT’S CALLED dentophobia. Or fear of the dentist, fear of going to the dental clinic and/or fear of sitting on the dental chair.
It could be triggered by the whirring sound of the dental drill. Or the sight of the sharp stainless steel instruments common in dental clinics.
Dentophobia indeed is one of the major reasons that people avoid dentists until the very last minute when the pain of a toothache, at the very least, becomes unbearable.
Les us emphasize here that fear of the dental clinic is totally normal. It becomes a phobia to a very small group of people when they cannot bear to sit on the dental chair that it becomes a medical issue.
In these new normal times, however, the pandemic has put the spotlight on justified fear of going to the dentist. It’s not only the sound or the sight of the dental drill, it’s the very real possibility that a deadly virus could be lurking out there.
Let us reassure patients who are concerned (and rightly so) that the dental clinic, as all health clinics should be, maintain a clean and ‘’germ-free’’ environment to protect patients from infection. More so in these days of the pandemic, the dental clinic must remain immaculately clean and ‘’virus-free’’ to protect not only patients but also dentists and dental staff.
You see, dental professionals are at high risk of being infected and transmitting the virus. The reason is that the dental clinic deals directly with the oral cavity where saliva is believed to be a reservoir of SARS CoV2, the virus that causes the coronavirus pandemic.
Dentists too are in close proximity to the nasopharygeal area where the virus is usually found.
The use of dental equipment generates saliva mist during “aerosol generating procedures” such as ultrasonic scaling, use of high-speed handpiece and other procedures such as surgical suctions. These risks are unique to dental interventions where aerosol generation, handling of sharps instruments and proximity of the provider to the patient’s oropharyngeal region is unavoidable.
Majority of confirmed COVID cases do not display symptoms. These unidentified cases are the major infection routes of cases.
Concerned patients should be comforted therefore in the thought that extra precautions are taken in the dental clinic to prevent and avoid exposing both patients and dentists to cross- and self-contamination.
It is important to bear this in mind as dental clinics slowly reopen across the country. During the lockdowns, most Filipinos were unable to see their dentists as clinics were locked down. It was only in emergency cases when they had to resort to dental care in a hospital setting.
Today, dentists are redesigning their clinics to settings more appropriate for protection against the virus. Many procedures such as regular cleaning considered routine in the old normal are best postponed until a clinic is adequately protected against the virus. All these mean that periods between visits to the dentist is now prolonged, and that may lead to unattended oral health care issues that may worsen in the long term.
We begin a series on the updates that the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) has issued to its members – the ‘’Interim Guidelines on Infection Prevention for COVID-19 Pandemic’’.
The interim guidelines have been made specifically for COVD-19 and its impact on the dental practice. The contents of the Guidelines are based on published evidences made available to all professionals in aid of understanding the disease.
In addition, the guidelines provided by authorities in other countries were used as a basis, considering best practices and clinical experiences of countries hardest hit by the pandemic.
These recommendations are intended to protect patients and dental health workers and prevent the spread of the infection in the community.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the UE College of Dentistry, former Dean of the College of Dentistry, National University, past president and honorary fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy, and honorary fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists. Honorary Life Member of Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515./PN
