Dr. Vishaj S. Maru
Dental Practitioner
Mumbai
Almost more than 2 months to this lockdown, we already know the history of its origin and spread of the novel corona virus. Most of us are very well aware of the precautions to be taken during and post lockdown.
In a cycle of following these protocols do we realise at times we smell bad breathe from our own mouth while wearing mouth mask. And we realise something is not correct!
But do we all know how do we take care of our teeth and maintain oral health and hygiene at home?
As most of them have been to the dentist at least once in their lifetime and exactly know how the dental procedures are carried out. Most dental procedures require close contact with the patient’s oral cavity, saliva, blood and respiratory tract secretions. Also in this current pandemic, dentists, auxiliaries as well as patients undergoing dental procedure are at high risk of cross-infection. Even during this outbreak, it’s important to maintain good oral hygiene habits.
So it was told that the dental clinics would remain closed in the containment zones.
However, they would continue to provide help over the phone, text or video consultation. Emergency dental cases will be undertaken only after consultation, tele-triage, and consent and through pre-fixed appointments only.
In the red zone area patient can seek help from the ambulance services to travel to the nearest COVID-19 dental facility, while the dental clinics in orange/green zones will function to provide consults and every patient would be treated with utmost care and precaution following all the dental guidelines.
Every individual must follow the protocols. Most of them aren’t habitual of wearing masks. A face mask covers your mouth and nose. It can block the release of virus-filled droplets into the air when you cough or sneeze. This helps slow the spread of COVID-19. Initially it does get a little problematic breathing through nose, breathing through mouth which could lead to drying of mouth.
To help prevent dental problems from happening during and post lock-down, here are some oral health care tips to follow:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- Use inter dental brush or floss to clean in between the teeth.
- Use mouthwash and tongue cleaner daily to remove bad bacteria and keep your breath fresh.
- Cut down on excess sugar you have and how often you have it.
- Maintain a proper diet.
- Keep yourself hydrated.
- Avoid any bad dental habit of chewing your pen caps, biting nails, opening any bottle caps etc. you might invite problems for yourself and you might end up cracking your tooth.
- Sugar free chewing gum can help produce saliva which will avoid drying of mouth and neutralise the plaque acids in your mouth.
NOTE: Changing your brush regularly also helps prevent the spread of bacteria. If you have had the corona virus (or suspect that you may have) or are sick in general, throw your toothbrush away! As your tooth brush bristles will come in contact with the bacteria and virus from the saliva during infection. If you cannot find a replacement for it, make sure to disinfect it properly by soaking your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide for 3-5 minutes. Or another alternative is to soak your toothbrush in a glass of mouthwash for 10 mins. This can be followed on regular basis too even when not sick. Use toothbrush caps to cover the toothbrush head after brushing. Replace your toothbrush every 3 months and sooner if you fall ill.
‘You covering your mouth with a mask protects them, while them covering their mouth with a mask protects you.’
Stay safe, stay healthy.
