<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589809290522.png" alt=" A rinsing sink at the dentist office of David Lawlor in Wichita. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> A rinsing sink at the dentist office of David Lawlor in Wichita. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/dentist-and-hygienest-describe-how-covid-19-disrupts-even-routine-teeth-cleanings">Kansas News Service</a>Dental offices across Kansas closed for more than a month to make 
sure they weren’t using up critical personal protective equipment needed
 at hospitals.Now many are beginning to clean molars and bicuspids again.Brian
 Grimmett of the Kansas News Service spoke with David Lawlor, a dentist,
 and Julie Martin, the president of the Kansas Dental Hygienists’ 
Association, to find out what you can expect when you go and how they’re
 trying to keep patients and employees safe.The interviews were performed separately. The questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.Kansas News Service: What are the expectations for getting back up and running?David
 Lawlor: We’ve been pushing patients back for six weeks. I think at 
first people originally we’re trying to do their best to deal with it. 
If it’s something I can put off for a while I will. But the last couple 
weeks it’s kind of been like we reached our limit and people got to get 
in.We’re having people stay out in their car and we’re taking 
the temperature of staff and patients. We’re wearing masks, we have face
 shields, we have gowns, and for our cleanings we’re not using the 
Cavitron (a machine that uses ultrasonic sound waves to remove plaque 
from teeth) which is a thing that can aerosolize the virus. We’re doing 
mostly hand scaling.KNS: You mentioned the precautions 
you’re taking, but is there some extra hesitancy from you or your staff,
 saying, you know I'm working with spit all day?Lawlor:
 Yes and No. It’s what we do all the time. We’ve always been at higher 
risk for getting sicknesses because we’re working in people’s mouths. 
So, that’s been the main thing, trying to limit the amount of high air 
flow into the mouth that causes things to get into the air. And you know
 what? I think it’s all going to work out and be just fine.KNS: Have you heard from any people that are afraid to go back to work?Julie
 Martin: It wouldn’t be normal to not be afraid to go back to work. 
Because if our vigilance isn’t high, then complacency comes into play.I
 mean our procedures, the nature of our job is removing the bacterial 
load that’s in our oral cavities. And a lot of our equipment does 
produce those aerosols. That includes your polishing. That involves 
splatter. Some of your ultrasonic equipment which has, like the water 
spray and the vibration. That also creates an aerosol. So I mean, pretty
 much everything that we do can exasperate that potential for spread.KNS: Financially, what has it been like taking six weeks off?Martin:
 This is a tough choice. If we don’t go back to work we can’t pay our 
bills. So, the economic issue of all of this is devastating. Having to 
go back to work is great, but is it worth risking your health and the 
rest of the public’s health that you care for, is it worth it? That’s (a
 decision) each individual, each oral health care provider needs to 
make.KNS: Should you go to the dentist right now?Martin:
 You know, if you have an infection and you are in pain, then absolutely
 go in and see the dentist. Get that taken care of. Because if you do 
have infection and do have pain it has a tendency to spread into the 
rest of the system.Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a>
 or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org. The Kansas News Service 
is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains 
Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and 
their connection to public policy.

Dentist, hygienist: COVID-19 disrupts even routine cleanings