South Weymouth Dentist, Dr. Richard Wolfert, Dmd Discusses Dental Safety During The Pandemic

By Author: Steven Dubin
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South Weymouth, MA, Jan 15, 2021 -- Dr. Richard Wolfert, DMD, a South Weymouth, MA dentist, recently appeared on the Boston Making A Difference video podcast hosted by Mike Connell. Dr. Wolfert, AKA The Toothboss, talked about the safety precautions his practice, also called the Toothboss, has undertaken during the pandemic.

“Your oral health has a direct correlation to your overall health. For some people going months or even more than a year—depending on their last visit—can have detrimental implications on their overall health,” said Dr. Wolfert. “We knew that people might be a little uneasy about coming back to the dentist after the initial lockdown so we went above and beyond the CDC guidelines to create a safe experience for patients."

Those precautions include:
- Calling upon arrival – Only one to two patients in the waiting room at a time. If there is somebody in the waiting room when you arrive, patients are asked to maintain social distancing. Whenever possible patients are to come alone to their appointment.

- Entering the office – Patients are provided hand sanitizer and ...
... asked to dawn gloves and a mask. The Toothboss takes the patient’s temperature and has them fill out a brief questionnaire on their current health status and other things (e.g. have you been coughing; have you recently traveled).

- Sitting in the waiting room – Per CDC recommendations, magazines and reading material been removed from the waiting room to avoid the spread of germs.

- Povidone rinse – Patients are given an ounce of Povidone Iodine to rinse in their mouths for 15 seconds. If allergic to iodine, you will be offered a 3% hydrogen peroxide rinse. Both rinses kill the Covid virus and other bacteria in your mouth. This will provide an additional layer of protection for the dentist or hygienist should the patient unknowingly have COVID-19.

- Time to enter the operatory – As you sit in the chair, you will notice Dr. Wolfert and the hygienists are wearing gloves, masks and protective eyewear. When we suspect aerosol creation, we will wear a face shield. At times of increased risk, Dr. Wolfert and our hygienists are wearing two masks—an N95 mask with a type 3 mask on top. This is to extend the lifetime of the N95 masks, which are difficult to get during the crisis.

- The treatment – This will seem normal with a few exceptions. During prolonged procedures patients might asked to rinse with the Povidone to lessen the risk of having the virus in your mouth and being aerosolized.

- Oral suction – External oral suction machines used to improve the removal of aerosols that occur during certain procedures.

- Misting – A mister with a hypochloric acid (HOCL) solution will be used to spray the entire office and specifically the operatory after the patient leaves. This mist of this weak acid is very safe and will remove any virus and bacteria from the air.
 
- Exiting – Upon leaving the practice, patients will dispose of masks in an appropriately marked container as you exit. Hand sanitizer will also be available if you wish to use that upon leaving.

“Here at The Toothboss, we have always put patient health and safety first. As these steps reveal, we have gone far beyond CDC requirements to ensure patient safety,” said Dr. Wolfert. “That said, we look forward to the days when things are a little more closer to what used to be normal.”

For patients who might still be ambivalent about returning, The Toothboss created an informational video detailing the new protocols and safety measures implemented. That can be found at https://www.toothboss.com/why-it-is-safe-to-visit-the-toothboss-video.

“This has been a period like no other in our lifetime,” said Dr. Wolfert. “With these measures in place, we believe we have created a very safe environment for patients to return.”

For more information on The Toothboss, you can visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com.

About The Toothboss:
The Toothboss offers: comprehensive examinations (written treatment and treatment plan provided); cosmetics; crowns, bridges and tooth-colored restorations; partial and full dentures; periodontics (early cases treated); oral surgery; restoration of conventional and small diameter implants; and emergency services (24-hour emergency phone number available).

The Toothboss accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental. They also accept all major credit cards and have arranged payment plans through Springstone.

To schedule an initial consultation, please call 781-335-0604. For more information, visit www.toothboss.com.