(BLAINE) – Hospitals are expected to get busier during the Corona Virus outbreak, while dental offices are anything but busy. Under an order from the governor, they are only seeing emergency patients.
On any normal day, Twin Oaks Dental in Blaine would be busy with patients and staff. Now, its quiet with staff members at home, and patients seen only in emergencies. Dr. Sarah Melstrom watches closely as the rules keep changing. She says the governor’s order is meant to preserve protective gear and protect hygenists and other dental workers who are vulnerable. Covid-19 is spread by droplets, like in a cough or sneeze. But it can put hygenists in the line of fire.
When it comes to emergency work, dental offices play an important role in keeping patients out of hospitals.
“We cannot have people going to the emergency room if they don’t need to,” Melstrom said. “They would use resources and expose people. Don’t go to the emergency room.”
So how do you know if its a true dental emergency? The best advice is to call your dentist. They can help you walk through many kinds of issues, including some that you could fix temporarily on your own.
When things get back to normal, Dr. Melstrom says urgent cases will be seen first, but nobody is sure when that is.
“The hardest part is knowing so many people are hurting that we’re not alone,” said Melstrom. “A lot of our colleagues are without insurance now. We feel for our patients. We want to help people but there’s not much to do to help, and that feels hard.”
Dr. Melstrom says the definition of emergency care has been changing and the Minnesota Board of Dentistry is keeping dentists up to date.
