How I wear a mask at the dentist

[Jetheels]

Early on in the pandemic I had a terrible toothache. I had no choice to not go. I just wanted to share how I wear a mask at the dentist office in case some of you are afraid to go to the dentist. It sounds absurd, maybe looks absurd, but works for me and I feel safe going to the dentist this way. Basically when the hygienist is ready to begin, I raise my mask (kn95) upwards, so the lower part of the mask is covering over the nose, and the upper part is covering the eyes. It feels like it’s still a good seal too. My mouth is exposed and open so the hygienist can do the cleaning, and I breathe in and out through nose only. Then when they are finished I lower the mask back down. If you have been avoiding the dentist because of covid, and this doesn’t sound too absurd and want to give it a try, you can test it out at home. The added benefit is the eyes are covered from the bright dentist chair light. I asked my hygienist if anyone else does this but the answer was no. Just me. But they are totally on board with it and it doesn’t interfere with the cleaning. I doubt that I would go to the dentist had I not come up with this strategy. It’s so easy and simple. I don’t care what it must look like either. It’s keeping me safe. And them too.

[Jilly_in_VA]

1. My dentist

does not insist that anyone wear a mask in the office, since they are all wearing masks and face shields. You have to wait in the parking lot until they page you in, and nobody else is in the room with you unless they are wearing those. All the rooms are separate.

[Jetheels]

4. Omg, at mine we get a forehead temp check, an oxygen level check, we have to put on booties,

and there’s several dentists and hygienists working in various rooms at one time.

[Jilly_in_VA]

9. Mine is in solo practice.

He and I have discussed the temp check. He feels it's kabuki theater and I agree. They do ask you about symptoms and give you a once-over, though. Also, O2 checks are not necessarily valid in older folks. But this is a small town and people know each other.

[Ms. Toad]

21. You're not buying into the "I can't get it from someone I know" are you?

But this is a small town and people know each other.

[Jilly_in_VA]

23. No

I am telling you how it's done in my dentist's office. Period.

[FSogol]

10. Same here. Except we wear a mask until it is time for the work. They also put a source capture

exhaust fan (like the type in better nail salons) right by my mouth. Any exhalations are exhausted.

[Biophilic]

2. Also keep in mind that the dentist is in far more danger from you than you are from him/her.

Whatever works is my motto.

[empedocles]

5. my very good dds, really appreciated by 2nd shot.

[beaglelover]

3. I don't wear a mask when I'm in the dentist chair. I've had 3 cleanings

since the start of this pandemic. Still healthy.

[oregonjen]

6. My dentist has air purifiers with uv lights going full blast at each chair

Temp check, masks on until we are seen. We also rinse with hydrogen peroxide before we open our mouths.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. My director of nursing caught covid at her dental visit Aug 2020.

Now she's a longhauler.

This is a nice potential workaround you have here. Nicely done.

[Jetheels]

8. Thanks

[BigmanPigman]

11. Good idea!

The last time I went was March 2020, right before lockdowns, etc. I had a mask on and they laughed at me which pissed me off. When it was time for a 6 month check up I didn't make an appointment. Maybe after I get two vaccinations I will go back for a cleaning and do my N95 (the real McCoy) your way.

[Jetheels]

13. Thanks, I hope this helps someone. Ugh that's horrible to be laughed at for wearing a mask.

I never found actual n95’s. I have two different versions though of the kn95. One version looks kinda like a bird beak with a vertical front seam, and then the other design has two horizontal like folds toward the top and bottom. It’s the latter that I wear to the dentist. So I don’t know you’ll have to test out your mask to see how it works in the “dentist configuration”. Good luck.

[liberal_mama]

17. When I wore a mask to the dentist, he laughed and said "Everyone will think you have leukemia!"

He's a Trumper though. I'm not going back to him in the future.

[BigmanPigman]

18. Mine isn't a tRumper.

In fact, none of my doctors are. I know this since my favorite N95 mask has "trump" inside a red circle with a slash through it and I wear an anti-trump pin that I made. This makes for lots of comments/conversations during my visits. I wouldn't trust a doctor that was pro-tRump, like you.

[Jetheels]

26. I realized mine was a trumper too recently.

I usually just see the hygienist but I had a cavity, supposedly, and he filled it right after the cleaning, in a different office than where the hygienist works. He had on Fox News . Wtf. Why would a dentist office have any news on. We’re already stressed going there, what, we need more stress? Plus he drilled my tooth without numbing. I need a new dentist too, but I like my current hygienist.

[Deuxcents]

12. TY

I have a cleaning appt next week..has been over a year since I’ve gone so my waterpic has been working overtime. Just got my second shot but I still wear my mask. My hygienist looks like she’s in a hazmat suit but I may take you up on your idea..

[Jetheels]

14. My hygienist wears all that too. Good luck.

[shanti]

15. Just had a dental visit last Monday

Temp check, masked until in the exam room. While the work was being done, I took the mask off. The dentist and assistant kept theirs on, plus my dentist wore a face shield. I'm fully vaccinated, as is the entire dental staff. No problemo.

[Jetheels]

16. That's good, people should not be postponing their medical appointments.

I came up with this mask implementation early on in Spring 2020. There were no vaccines. NYC, where I live, had more covid cases than the rest of the entire world.

[mcar]

19. Last July, I had a tooth go bad

After a dentist appt, and an endodontist appt, it was determined that the tooth had to go - a far back molar so I didn't care.

I have never felt such pain in my life. Dentist and endodontist disagreed about pain management - neither of their recommendations made a lick of difference. I ended up at my family doc the next day, who put me on antibiotics, and in the ER 2 days later, due to the extreme pain, with 5 days left to go for the extraction.

ER PA gave me meds in a 20 minute visit that cost $2500. Fortunately, the dentist had a cancellation so they fit me in a few days later.

Every step of the way, everyone but me was masked. I did not care a whit about anything else.

When you have an emergency, you do the best you can.

[Jetheels]

20. Why couldn't they take out the tooth in the first visit? Terrible you had to suffer so long.

My last two dentist visits were bad, not as bad as yours though. The first one was a small cavity, he didn’t bother with the Novocain because it was such a small cavity. Well, I can still remember the drilling pain. The second one was when he put in a new crown. many times he injected the novocaine I could still feel the drilling. Then he just gave up trying to numb the tooth and did the drilling. I’ll have to find a new dentist after these 2 experiences. It didn’t help either that I had to ask him to turn off Fox News.

[mcar]

25. Dentist thought it was the tooth in front of it

that he had crowned a year ago. The one behind had an old crown and root canal. He thought the tooth needed a root canal so he sent me to the endodontist. She, with not one iota of care or concern, diagnosed the problem but was completely blase about the pain I was experiencing. The whole situation was ridiculous.

[shanti]

27. Some people need a LOT of novocaine

One of my sons is that way. Best bet is to find a dentist that will give you nitrous or intravenous sedation, so you'll be sure not to feel it. My dentist pulled a molar that should've been pulled by an oral surgeon. It took him almost an hour to do it and my bp was sky high due to the stress.

[TraceNC]

22. Same boat here. Had to go. I hadn't even considered

what you describe but it’s a great idea!

[Jetheels]

24. Thanks.

[Calista241]

28. In addition to face masks and shields for the employees of the dentistry

I have to wash my mouth out with hydrogen peroxide. Tastes terrible too.

[Jetheels]

29. I use that if I ran out of mouthwash. I love how it bubbles up.