I had some end-of-year dental work planned -- should I postpone it?

[W_HAMILTON]

I (finally) just got my booster last week.

I have several dental appointments scheduled between now and the end-of-the-year to take advantage of my unused benefits on some work that needs to be done (additional cleanings + a broken tooth extraction); however, this Omicron flareup has really worried me. It seems like it is everywhere and just about everyone is getting it.

I unfortunately did get COVID in the Summer of 2020 -- I didn't end up in the hospital, but I did get pretty sick and my oxygen levels did drop to (what I now know were) levels that would have probably had me admitted had I gone to the ER at the time (high 80s to low 90s) -- so, between that and my two-dose regimen of the Pfizer vaccine + my Pfizer booster last week, I figure I'm about as well protected from COVID as one can get. Having said that, I do have comorbidities and I'm not in the best of health as it is.

Do you guys think I should just postpone all the dental work and try to lay low until this current Omicron wave dies down? What are you guys doing in similar situations (or even with holiday get-togethers, etc.)?

[DURHAM D]

1. How well do you know your dentist?

I have an acquaintance who worked with her dentist to get it charged to her insurance one year (it was her last year as she was retiring) but did not have the work done until following year. iows - she paid in advance

[mopinko]

2. i had to have a lot of dental work last year, and they were very, very cautious.

i think it's safe enough, since you are boosted.

[SheltieLover]

3. I would cancel

Take a look at Dr. Eric Ding's twitter. He is a Harvard epidemiologist & has been 100% correct for the nearly 2 years I have been reading his tweets.



Here is a link if you are interested:

https://mobile.twitter.com/DrEricDing?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[CrackityJones75]

4. I wouldn't cancel

I had to have some work done including a root canal. Talk to your dentist about their vax situation and protocols and go. Not getting dental work done can also be bad for your health.

[elleng]

5. I've just postponed my broken tooth extraction 'because,'

different from my regular dentist who doesn't want to deal with nerves due to some difficulty.

[OhioBlue]

6. I'm scheduled for a filling next week that I might reschedule.

It isn't causing me any pain and while the covid protocols are really good in the dental rooms, they are lax in the rest of the office. Neither patients nor office staff wear masks. No social distancing in the lobby.

[lapucelle]

7. Is your dentist a stickler for health protocols? If yes, then I think I would get the work done.

I would avoid waiting in the waiting room, but get the work done. The broken tooth could become infected if you wait.

[Yonnie3]

8. I'm going to my appointment on the 27th.

They seem to be careful and I've got a crown that needs an installation.

The surge has not yet hit my area.

edit to add

Everyone is masked there.
You wait in your car.
The chair is wet from those sanitizing wipes, showing they are doing what they should..

If that was not the case I'd cancel.

[KentuckyWoman]

9. My dentist recommends "nose masks".

I had some emergency work done during a Delta spike in my area. Dental staff all wore the N95 + changed a surgical mask over it between patients. They knew how to work a surgical mask to turn it into a nose only mask.

Maybe it was theatre, I don't know, but I didn't get sick.

[MiniMe]

10. How much money will you lose if you don't spend it?

[2naSalit]

11. I just finished...

Having quite a bit done, been getting worked on since late summer. I'm vaxxed, boosted, all on the staff were masked with entry protocol for me, everyone was very cautious and none of us have been sick. I'm relieved that it's all done now, though.

If you are well acquainted with your dentist, ask them what they think then decide.

[Meowmee]

12. I am scared now to go

I have not gone since 6 months before the pandemic. I also have not gone to my eye doctors. I am going to have to go soon to them. I was not ok with them using the same bottles of drops to dilate and do other stuff pre exam for all the patients. This should not be done pre pandemic either - separate single dose eye drops are available and can be used instead.

[beaglelover]

14. Oral health is extremely important to your overall health.

Last edited Sun Dec 19, 2021, 09:31 PM - Edit history (1)

You are fully vaxed and boosted. I would not hesitate to get this dental work done.

[marie999]

15. Depends on how much you trust your dentist.

I have a good dentist and she follows very strict procedures. I had a chipped tooth and a cavity under a crown. Last week she took care of the cavity and the chipped tooth and I now have 2 temporary crowns which she will remove and put in permanent crowns in a week. She will clean my teeth the same time she puts in the permanent crowns to save me a trip.

[Efilroft Sul]

16. I'd say do it.

I was under so much stress in 2020 that I cracked a molar and threw my jaw out of balance last October. Then the cracked molar got infected and required a root canal. Plus I needed three fillings and additional work. Needless to say I was uncomfortable and could not eat all that much. After I got both Modernas in spring, I still had to wait three months before I could get in to see my dentist and also the periodontist. I went nearly a year before being fixed, and I wish I went much earlier.

[Johonny]

17. No, dental is the one thing I've kept up with all pandemic

Dental disease is something that is not reversible and missing preventive care can lead to much worse outcomes. Dentist offices have generally been safe. In the end, the idea of a safer time might not exist for quite some time. Certainly January and February are predicted to be far worse.