Who would have guessed that dental care would ever be in such short supply? We certainly weren’t expecting our state, let alone our office, to be shut down. This does highlight one thing that is often put on the back burner, and that is dental care. Many unsuspecting people don’t think about their oral health until an emergency necessitates it. An unexpected crisis is hard for everyone, let alone those who have not kept their mouths healthy. The shut down of dentistry in our state has relegated care to only essential emergencies, defined by state guidelines. We have not had shutdowns of entire states, or stay home recommendations due to a global pandemic in my lifetime.
This pandemic caught everyone off guard. It has affected us all in different ways. With some, they were caught short with little to no rainy-day fund. Others may not have had enough food stored up to get them by for a few weeks. Some had to have medical procedures canceled. Schools have been closed until the end of the school year, when has that ever happened? These are unprecedented times. Others were themselves stricken or knew someone who was infected. Many have lost loved ones and or friends. A sad time for all.
We never knew this would happen. It was not on our radar. It does speak however to being better prepared maybe for the “just in case” times in our lives. I can only imagine how those patients feel who cannot now get in to get their dental care. I wish I could have taken care of everyone’s needs before this happened.
Please make sure you are doing your diligence at home during this time. Keeping up your brushing and flossing. Try to get in some extra homecare. The health of your mouth affects your overall health and it’s up to you how you want it affected.
I urge you that once this is all over and we can return to our normal lives, please get yourself healthy and that includes your mouth. Then, all you have to do is maintain it. It is much easier to ride things out when your body and mouth are healthy than when they are not.
I sincerely look forward to seeing you all again when this is over. I hope you stay healthy. In the office, we often say “better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it”. Just insert the dentist in that sentence…