Dental Offices Reopening - 5/12/20

After nearly two months, dentist offices are opening wide again.

After nearly two months, dentist offices are opening wide again.

Dental care has been limited to emergency cases, but now dentists are cleared for routine procedures.

As stephanie poole reports, things will be looking a little different when you go in for your next filling..

The staff at mitchell dental clinic in macon is all smiles.

Marketing director colby mitchell says under the stay at home orders, the clinic had to cancel most of its appointments.

Now, they're ready to get back to work.

" for the last month we've been doing emergency only services trying to keep people out of the emergency rooms. the dental board told us to open back up stating this week to start doing cleanings and full treatment."

During the state's lockdown, mitchell says an increasing demand for medical services spread throughout noxubee county.

" a thing that we saw or the last month is how many people really needed to see a dentist.

A-lot of smaller clinics might not have been able to stay open during this time but we did.

" and to make sure the doors ástayá open, he and the staff are using a new protocol to keep everyone protected from the virus.

" all of our systems are designed to make it as safe for the patient as possible on a normal day.

We're just amping that up a more.

There's a new procedure when you show up to the dentist where you'll call us before you even come inside.

We'll get you checked in, do all the paperwork in the car, and temperatures checks just to make sure our staff is safe and the other patients that are coming behind you as well."

Mitchell is urging all clients to practice safety measures before entering the facility.

" it's very wise to bring your mask in whenever you come in to the clinic.

You know you'll have your mouth open whenever you actually get to the chair but our staff is going to be completely masked the entire time that you're in there.

We struggled to stay open but we wanted to make sure we did that as a service to our patients and to the local communities."

Reporting in noxubee county,stephanie poole,wcbi news.

Mitchell says the office will continue this protocol as long as there is a covid- 19 threat.