Orthodontist and dentist offices are re-opening around the world but we must take proper precautions to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus COVID-19!
With life returning to some-what normal, I think it's really important to review some of the hygiene habits that everyone should implement in order to do his/her part in preventing the spread of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 aka COVID-19. Dentists all over the world are modifying their office protocols to make sure that we are making the dental office as safe a possible in order to continue providing excellent care to our patients!
Needless to say, it is critical to maintain excellent oral hygiene, irrespective of the time but on top of proper oral hygiene, it is important to be mindful to prevent the spread of infectious disease. In this blog post we are going to review tips and tricks you can use to avoid contracting/spreading the virus at your orthodontist office and some precautions you can take at home to make sure your home is clean and safe!
On-the-go Advice & Products
Masks
In most places around the world, masks are required to be worn when in public but what I am seeing far too often is that individuals are not properly wearing / using their masks. One of the most commonly encountered mistakes when wearing a mask is resting it under your nose instead of covering both your mouth and nose. This is problematic because we breathe primarily through our nose and if the mask is not covering your nose, it really serves no purpose! Viruses and bacteria can freely enter your body and that can result in inoculation with microorganisms (not good!). Another common thing I notice with individuals wearing a mask is that they are touching things (often dirty) and then adjusting / touching their masks! This basically brings all the germs that you've been touching to your face and can actually be incredibly harmful because these germs are being held up against your face for the entire duration that you are wearing that mask. So remember, when you wear a mask: 1] cover BOTH your nose and mouth and 2] once the mask is placed on your face with clean hands, do not touch it until you are ready to remove it, again, with clean hands.
Disposable gloves
I am actually a huge advocate for wearing disposable gloves when going to the market, gas station or really any place with a lot of traffic. When I wear gloves, it reminds me to not violate rule #2 of wearing a mask, which was to not touch your face! When we wear gloves, are are more cognizant of what we touch and mindful to not touch our phone, our clothes and most importantly, our faces. The order I recommend when stepping out of your car is, 1] put on a fresh pair of gloves and 2] place your mask and make sure it is snuggly adapted to your face so you don't mess with it later. Once you are ready to leave, I recommend taking off your gloves, either washing your hands with soap or 60% alcohol hand sanitizer and then removing your mask with clean hands. Since many of your orthodontists may ask you to wear a mask to enter your appointment and after leaving, using these tips and tricks will really help keep you and those around you safe!
Hand Sanitizers
I understand that sometimes it may be difficult to find a sink to wash your hands after leaving a grocery store or gas station. Although this shouldn't be an issue at an orthodontists office, you may use >60% alcohol hand sanitizers to clean your hands when soap & water is not available. Soap and water is better than hand sanitizers because in addition to the antimicrobial effect of soap, the act of rubbing your hands together can mechanically break up the germs and dirt on your hands, which is not possible with hand sanitizers. Some may ask, well then, why use hand sanitizers at all? Well, the 60% (or more) alcohol content actually dehydrates the bacteria and viruses on your hands making them unable to infect you but washing your hands can definitely do a better job and cleaning your hands and removing any particles that remain.
Alcohol Pads
I really have loved having some alcohol pads that I keep in the car to wipe down commonly touched surfaces when I get into the car. This includes things like wiping down my cell phone, steering wheel and door handles. These are commonly touched areas that we don't even think about but by keeping a pack of alcohol wipes in your car or in your pocket, you can frequently and easily wipe down these surfaces. I used to always use Wet Ones but after doing some research, I realized that they aren't effective against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. This is because the active ingredient in Wet Ones and in most other non-alcohol based wipes is is Benzalkonium Chloride which, according to the CDC (Center of Disease Control), is not effective against viruses. Thats why I recommend, on the go, to have both hand sanitizer for your hands and alcohol pads for your commonly touched surfaces!
At Home Hygiene
Woohoo! You're home and feel safe from any infections.... right? Not if you don't follow these tips!! Below we are going to review some hygiene habits that you can practice right when you get home in order to make sure your house is germ free!
Wash your hands!
I can't stress this one enough. The best way to prevent spreading germs around your house is to wash your hands right when you get home using soap. Like I discussed in my YouTube video about coronavirus right when it came out, soap is the most effective way to break up bacteria and viruses and remove them from your hands. I actually recommend using an automated soap dispenser because it doesn't require you to touch any dispenser with your dirty hands. I you think about it, before you put soap on your hands, they're dirty. This means that every time you're dispensing more soap, you're adding more germs to the soap dispense... That's why I recommend everyone invest in a soap dispenser to use right when they get home after disinfecting their feet / items they're bringing inside which we'll talk about next!
Disinfecting spray / wipes
When you come home, it is also super important to spray the bottom of your shoes with a disinfecting spray and wipe down anything that may have gotten dirty while outside, such as a briefcase, backpack, purse and cell phone. This is because as we know, many bacteria and viruses can remain active on inorganic surfaces so we have to make sure to neutralize them once coming home to prevent the spread of these germs around the house! Lysol makes great products at doing just that, and these products are in fact recommended by the CDC! So remember, once you get home, disinfect the bottom of your shoes, change your clothes if possible and wipe down any products that may have been soiled by being outside!!
Why Soap is so Important
Ii said it here and you've probably heard it before but soap is the best way to disinfect your hands because of two things. One is the fact that soap chemically has the ability to pierce viruses and bacteria and actually make them unable to infect you! This is why it is so important that when you wash your hands, you are scrubbing all surfaces that may be dirty and that you wash your hands for a full twenty seconds (just like how you brush your teeth for a whole two minutes)! The second reason why soap is so important is because the action of rubbing your hands together and scrubbing soap in those areas mechanically removes any dirt that may be holding these germs to your skin. That second reason is why soap is so much better than alcohol hand sanitizers! To learn more about how to stay safe during this time, check out my YouTube video where I explain how viruses work and how to prevent their spread!
Don't have the right tools? Don't worry! I've got you covered. After searching for the best deals of all the products I recommend on Amazon, I have compiled a store for your convenience!
Must-Have Oral Hygiene Products!
These tools, coupled with the information in other blog posts will dramatically improve your oral hygiene during your braces journey and help prevent any discomfort, cavities, gum disease and additional costs!
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