{"id":46,"date":"2020-05-11T16:08:11","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T16:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/blog\/?p=46"},"modified":"2025-08-01T20:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T20:43:28","slug":"practice-social-distancing-dentist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/blog\/practice-social-distancing-dentist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Social Distancing at the Dentist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_336977835__1590173436_55163-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"two people wearing face masks and touching elbows\" class=\"wp-image-47\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While your dentist was closed for all non-emergency patients\nduring much of March and April due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/\">COVID-19<\/a>, the good news is that\nthey are now open again for regular treatments like cleanings and fillings. As you\nfirst walk into their office, you notice that everyone is respectfully keeping\ntheir distance in order to avoid transmitting germs. Since you\u2019re an\naffectionate person who normally loves giving handshakes and hugs, this era of\nsocial distancing has been hard on you. Here are a few alternative ways you can\ngreet and connect with your dental team in the time of COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8 Friendly, Germ-Free Greetings to Help You Stay Connected <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some experts have posited that the days of introductory\nhugs, handshakes, and cheek kisses are long gone. As a result, we as a society\nmay have to develop new, socially distant ways of greeting one another that\nremain after all this is over. Some of these new greetings might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The elbow bump <\/li><li>A foot tap <\/li><li>Air high-five <\/li><li>Air kisses <\/li><li>Smile and wave <\/li><li>A head nod <\/li><li>Namaste\/ prayer hands <\/li><li>The \u201clive long and prosper\u201d hand sign <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Best Practices for Dental Safety <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we have gone over creative ways to greet your\ndental staff, it\u2019s important that we discuss dental safety best practices going\nforward. Here are a few guidelines to follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Call before your appointment.<\/strong> Much of your\ndentist\u2019s normal practices have changed since your last visit. It\u2019s safe to go\nahead and call ahead of time and ask about any guidelines you should adhere to\nbefore your appointment. <\/li><li><strong>Practice social distancing with other\npatients.<\/strong> Whether you\u2019re seeing your dentist for a routine checkup or a\nsevere dental emergency, you\u2019re inevitably going to come within six feet of\nthem. However, you can still do your part to maintain a good distance between\nyou and the other patients. It helps to wait in your car until your appointment\ntime instead of the waiting room, and wash your hands throughout your visit. <\/li><li><strong>Prioritize preventive care.<\/strong> Good oral\nhygiene is more important now than ever before. Brush and floss every day. In addition,\nbe sure to rinse your mouth out with an antimicrobial mouthwash to rid your\nmouth of germs that your toothbrush and floss can\u2019t reach. Lastly, visit your\ndentist for a checkup and cleanings every six months. These practices can save\nyou from developing a dental emergency like a seriously painful toothache. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In these uncertain times, even a routine trip to the dentist\u2019s\noffice can be seen as an exciting outing. Just remember to connect with your\ndental team using some socially distant, handshake-free greetings like the ones\nlisted above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/meet-dr-gretchen-anjomi.html\">Dr. Gretchen\nAnjomi<\/a> is a dentist in Newton, MA who earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine\ndegree over twenty years ago at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She\nis a member of the American Dental Association as well as the Massachusetts\nDental Association. Her practice takes great care to be as safe and clean as\npossible during COVID-19. To learn more about the safety precautions she and\nher team take, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/contact.html\">visit\nher website.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While your dentist was closed for all non-emergency patients during much of March and April due to COVID-19, the good news is that they are now open again for regular treatments like cleanings and fillings. As you first walk into their office, you notice that everyone is respectfully keeping their distance in order to avoid transmitting germs. Since you\u2019re an affectionate person who normally loves giving handshakes and hugs, this era of social distancing has [&hellip;] <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/blog\/practice-social-distancing-dentist\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dentist | Social Distancing Tips | Dr. Gretchen Anjomi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With your dentist finally open for treatments like cleanings, you can now visit them again. Here\u2019s how you can greet the team while social distancing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smiledmd.com\/blog\/practice-social-distancing-dentist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dentist | Social Distancing Tips | Dr. Gretchen Anjomi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With your dentist finally open for treatments like cleanings, you can now visit them again. 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