Aibu to not go to the dentist

[MoonshineWashingLine]

My crown fell off my molar a couple of months ago and I've been putting off getting it put back on again due to covid. I've rescheduled my appointment twice and meant to go tomorrow but the anxiety is rife. Should I just go or would you not bother at the moment given the circumstances? I'm unsure. It's not causing me any huge problems so not particularly an emergency as such so I'm undecided as to what to do. Plus my dentist is 15 miles away in the city as we moved house and can't find one locally :/ not sure if I'm being silly or not...

I’ve got a dental appointment tomorrow too, also feeling the angst. Shall we both just grit our teeth and get it over with, we’ve got this, then it’s done. The dentists do have good procedures in place.

Can you phone them up and ask what extra procedures they have in place due to covid. It might put your mind at rest when they explain.

I went to the dentist this week for a routine check-up. It was fine. Everyone was wearing a mask/PPE; only two people allowed in the waiting room at a time; the chairs widely spaced; counter to ceiling Perspex screens at the reception desk. Probably more hygienic than it's ever been.

Dentist is extremely safe right now.

I have a checkup next week but was in over summer to get impressions for a new night-guard. They have temp check on arrival, hand sanitiser all over the place, the dentists and nurses are in full PPE, and the number of patients has been limited for social distancing/allowing rooms to sit empty and "air" between appointments. They also ring and do a screening call the morning of the appointment.

In short, I am more than happy to go. I think hygiene in that sort of setting is always high priority anyway, and it is 100 x more "covid secure" than going to Sainsbury's!

The dentists are the safest places on the planet IMVHO.

(morning Judy, hope your dental issues are resoved finally!) (Piam calling)

Dentists are incredibly safe right now - safer than most places you can visit. I have been a few times. Everyone is in full PPE (like literally hazmat suits)

I went to the dentist yesterday, a follow up from an emergency appointment. Like you, I dithered a bit as it's awkward and achey a bit, but it doesn't really hurt or prevent me eating like last month so maybe I "shouldn't" with everything going on.

It was a bit frustrating as the waiting is mainly outside now for most people and they were running behind while a drizzle was going on, but they had everything very clearly signposted on what to do (at mine, we have to call up and say we've arrived and then someone comes out to get us, there are squares on the ground to stand in, once in they do temperatures, check if/how you're paying, then do hand sanitizer before heading straight into the dentist's office).

I'm glad I went, dental issues can really start stacking up if left and it's already made a big difference in my eating even though I thought it wasn't having any affect before!

I wish I could get a dentist appointment, ours still isn't offering check ups.

I went to the dentist for a checkup today and it was completely fine. Only one other person in the waiting room and all staff in PPE.

I'd go. Our dentists was very safe, all in PPE and just knowing how sterile they have to keep everything normally, let alone with the extra levels they've added on top made me feel perfectly secure.

Thanks everyone. That's very reassuring. I'll call anyway I think and see what they have in place.

I’ve been to my dentist and my husband has been twice, their 20 minute appointments are now 40 minutes, due to extra cleaning and having to change their PPE each time. There was literally one person in at a time, so I doubt they are covering their costs at the moment. I also think they are probably very worried that they are going to catch something off the patients. If you have to have any work done, they are covered in full PPE which has to be thrown away after each patient. Please reconsider cancelling, as they are choosing who they can see at the moment.