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    The Dentist Will See You Now. But Should You Go?

    Dentists spend their careers eye to eye with infectious patients, their hands inside gaping mouths, and have a vested interest in making sure everyone stays safe. Here's how they do it.
    by Fran Kritz Jul 06, 2020 5 minutes

    Add dental visits to the list of services you can book now or shortly, as cities, counties and states continue to modify their months-long stay at home orders aimed at reducing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.

    Dental offices were largely shuttered across the United States after being advised in March by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to close their practices to all but emergency care. Many closed entirely.

    The hope was that by allowing dentists to continue to treat serious cases — such as intense tooth pain and infections — those patients would stay out of hospital ERs, where medical workers were busy with severely ill coronavirus patients. And because the personal protective gear dentists and other health care providers need was in especially short supply, routine dental check-ups and cleanings were deemed nonessential, at least initially.

    More recently though, the restrictions loosened in many places. So, is it really safe to go to the dentist now?

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