Many people have reported that we have moved from a pandemic to an endemic with the onset of Covid-19. Covid-19 has become a part of our society, and only through regular vaccinations, social distancing when sick or with symptoms, and regular health checkups can we take precautions and keep our bodies safe for the future. Looking over the pandemic, endodontists everywhere have taken up many of their own protocols to keep themselves, their staff members, and most of all, their patients safe.
These protocols are still in place for many practices, and with these guidelines, endodontists can now provide patient care safely through the use of modern technology, updated techniques, and upgraded sanitation policies. We’re here to look over these steps and see how they’ve now evolved to become our standard form of care and how they have influenced the future of endodontic care and dental care for everyone.
Technologies That Helped Reduce Covid-19 Spread
During the pandemic, one of the people’s biggest concerns about their dental care was the risk of transmission from dental visits. Because of the severity of the pandemic during the 2020 and 2021 years, personal protection equipment was costly and increasingly difficult to attain. Though medical professionals had and continue to have priority for personal protection equipment, eliminating transmission rates was the first priority, and thus alterations needed to be made. While many practices took their own approaches, many practices worked with a few fundamentals to keep their patients safe.
Throughout this article, we will be expanding on some of the common processes used and what they meant for patients during the pandemic. In the majority of these cases, endodontists had to work toward establishing clearer measures for the diagnosis and treatment of endodontic diseases. These measures include:
- Telehealth Screenings: Telehealth screenings contributed a great part to limit the spread of Covid-19. This technology helped patients receive screenings at home and provided patients with at-home treatments that wouldn’t require the expertise of endodontists to perform. For many, this not only helped limit its spread but also saved on finances and time and helped improve care for rural areas.
- Focusing on Endodontic Symptoms: Endodontists performing screenings had to adjust the focus of their diagnosis slightly to improve not only the patient’s experience but also to determine more accurate solutions. Tele-visits helped dentists determine whether or not the symptoms their patients experienced were of endodontic origin and also helped dentists perform in-office diagnoses more accurately with more information on hand.
- Extra-Oral Imaging Scans: Extra-oral scans help provide CBCT scans without needing to directly interact with the patient, and this technology helps patients receive a more accurate diagnosis. This technology also helped reduce the need for invasive procedures and also helped reduce the spread of bodily fluids.
All of these approaches have helped contribute to the lowering of Covid-19 rates, and while still present, it has resulted in easier ways to plan and treat endodontic conditions and improve recovery times for patients. But beyond these technologies, what does today’s endodontic practice look like now that it has moved to an endemic?
Today’s Endo Care Treatments For The Future
Developing treatment plans to treat complex endodontic diseases during the pandemic presented some unique challenges, but many practices ultimately learned to adapt to these new circumstances through updating their treatment options and overall practice safety measures. By minimizing visits to the amount necessary and using telehealth and no-contact procedures, these measures helped reduce the spread and risk of transmission. But with the status of the pandemic constantly changing, it begs the question of what permanent measures for reducing viral spreads like Covid-19 are in place?
Ultimately, this has to lead to considerable improvements in our ability to perform treatments, and it’s through this list of measures that patients are able to experience better care, including:
- Reducing Treatment Times: Newer techniques in endodontic retreatments and root canals have helped reduce the amount of time taken to treat the issues, ultimately improving efficiency and resulting in less time in the chair and reduced spread of infection.
- Same-Day Treatments: Some practices improved their same-day procedures, which in turn helped reduce the spread of the virus and helped heal patients with faster, more accurate results. Dental problems like calcified canals and necrotic pulp can be addressed within same-day procedures, and improved methods for treating these conditions helped eliminate cases such as micro-leakage and poor sealant.
- Emergency Protocols: Patients that experienced emergency dental problems, such as dislodged teeth due to traumatic accidents. In addition, emergency protocols for handling emergencies during the Covid-19 pandemic have not only helped reduce the spread but also emphasized better methods of treatment during emergencies, including same-day permanent treatments, better medication administration, and reduced risk of failure.
- PPC Equipment Procedures: With the higher demand for PPC equipment results in better sanitation methods and the use of PPC equipment as standard policy. While this type of equipment has always been a part of medical care procedures, the stricter use of sanitation methods helped reduce the spread of the virus and provided patients with better protection overall.
All of these factors contributed to a healthier outcome for everyone, and while the pandemic is beginning to transition over into an endemic, it has resulted in more permanent changes to the structure of endodontic care. Because of the technological procedures in place, patients will be able to experience better quality dental care through these improved methods.
While the endemic may continue to go on, if you’re experiencing toothaches that haven’t been resolved, the best way to receive treatment is by contacting your dentist. Through your dentist, you can receive a recommendation from your nearest endodontist. By scheduling an appointment with your endodontist, you can learn more about their practice, how they’re approaching the spread of Covid-19, and find relief for your dental conditions. If you live near the Irvine, CA area, make sure to schedule an appointment with Irvine Endodontics today for effective, affordable pain relief.
