COVID-19 Update

The NEWS is continuously changing, particularly with regard to COVID-19 / “Coronavirus.” We are serious about safety and health. Here are the precautions we have in place to help keep our staff and you safe from COVID. Please know that Teuscher Legacy Dental is always monitoring the most up-to-date news, alerts, and safety precautions. What will NOT change is our ongoing commitment to YOU. The needs of our patients are our #1 priority, including your interests, comfort and safety. We are now open for all dental procedures. If you have any questions, you can always give us a call or text.

Summer 2022 update:

As a part of our move to our new office, we have made several technological updates to keep you as safe as possible! One of the most important is our state of the art air filtration system. When we designed our new office, we were able to leverage the latest thinking in infection control coming out of the COVID years. Our air filtration is as safe as it gets!

This spring we had an OSHA consultant review our infection control procedures and affirm our processes.

In addition to the latest sanitation technology, products and procedures, our new office has private operatories. This means enhanced privacy for you, but importantly, also means any aerosol we generate in one room will not travel to adjacent rooms. Put simply, other people’s germs will stay in their own rooms so you won’t have to wonder about cross-contamination.

Per CDC and IDPH recommendations, we still ask that patients wear masks in our office. Please help us love and protect others by masking during your visit. Thank you!

March 16th, 2021:

Last week, we brought in a leading expert on infectious diseases and infection control

The expert checked out our facilities and talked in depth with our staff. Not only were we reassured that our sterilization and sanitation measures are the best in the business, but we were also told that the products we use – which effectively kill concerns such as HIV and Hepatitis – also kill the relatively weaker Coronavirus COVID-19. 

May 12th, 2020:

The Illinois Department of Public Health has advised that Illinois Dental practices are fully open for all procedures.

We are now open!

Your well-being is always our top priority. We are committed to be the safest possible office and environment for both our patients and team. For more information, check out our dedicated COVID-19 Update page.

May 4th:

In following Illinois’s “Shelter in Place” modified extension, we are planning to officially reopen our office on June 1st.

Our team is working hard during this time to learn and plan for a safe and successful return. We are getting everything ready: PPE protocols, pre-appointment coronavirus screenings, staggered scheduling to reduce the number of people in the office at a given time, antibiotic mouth washes, and innovative suction systems to eliminate aerosols, just to name a few.  We will be posting more updates soon about how we’ll be back ready to serve you better than before! 

Our team will always try to accommodate patients with emergencies and other time-sensitive needs. We are monitoring our phones every day, so if you have any questions or concerns, give us a call!

As always, we are paying close attention to the guidance of the CDC, ADA, ISDS and Illinois government. We hope you and your family are well and look forward to seeing you soon!

March 26th:

We’re living in interesting times! To protect our patients and team and to honor our medical colleagues’ requests, we have suspended all routine dental care until April 8th. This is in line with Illinois’s “Shelter in Place” order, as well as guidelines from the ADA and ISDS. We are still seeing emergency patients.

To protect our patients and team, and to honor our medical colleagues’ requests, we have suspended all routine dental care until April 8th.

Remember: if you are experiencing pain, swelling, or have another urgent need, we will still take care of you. If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call or text. We are monitoring our phones daily.

In the meantime, our team is using this as an opportunity to learn new skills and improve our current systems. We’ve also been able to enjoy a little more downtime to relax with some of our favorite hobbies. To see some of what we’ve been up to, check out our Facebook page.

Be safe, be healthy, be Blessed!

March 23rd:

To protect our patients and team, and to honor our medical colleagues’ requests, we have suspended all routine dental care at this time.

This is in line with the ADA, ISDS, and other health organizations, in addition to the recent “Shelter in Place” protocol. We will keep you informed, but in the meantime, we will offer care on an emergency basis only. The ADA defines a dental emergency in great detail, but if you are experiencing pain, swelling, or have another urgent need, we will be sure to take care of you.

If you or your family have any questions or concerns, please call us, as we continue to monitor our phones. From all of us at Teuscher Dental, be safe and be healthy!

March 18th:

We are making decisions on a daily basis based on the best information we can receive from credible sources in dentistry and medicine, along with the CDC and WHO. The health of the people who trust us for their and their families’ care, and the health of our team and their families is TOO important to take risks with non-essential procedures.

Be sure to contact us for emergency situations and for any questions that anybody might have. Elective dental procedures, including most hygiene procedures, are postponed until next Monday and will be rescheduled. Again, if you are experiencing pain or have any questions, please call us. We appreciate your understanding and willingness to make this sacrifice with us as we all do everything that we can to ensure public well-being.

What we are doing in light of recent news:

• We have always been dedicated to exceeding even the most stringent OSHA protocols for maintaining a sterile environment.

• For patients who have appointments, we are screening for illness risk factors such as recent travel to foreign countries and any current or recent symptoms.

• We are choosing to remove from our reception areas items that are frequently touched, such as magazines, pens and our coffee machine.

• In addition to our sterilization procedures in each operatory before and after every patient, we are also committed to disinfecting our reception and restroom areas twice an hour – including all door handles, faucet handles and light switches.

What you can do while you are here:

• Please sanitize your hands when you arrive, using hand sanitizer dispensers we have provided for you.

• We also request that you use the provided hand sanitizer dispenser as you check out at our front desk.

What we can ALL do:

• Wash our hands frequently. Soap and water is best.

• We’ve probably all heard not to touch our faces, including eyes, nose and mouth. But if we MUST touch our face, it is best to wash or sanitize our hands both before AND afterward.

• Resist touching our faces with (or chewing on) pens, pencils, fingernails.

• Cover a sneeze or cough with our inner elbow (if possible) or a tissue.

• Avoid touching often-touched items, and wash hands after touching these things, also sanitize these things at home if possible: door knobs, faucet handles, toilet handles, light switches, remote controls, refrigerator and other appliance handles, buttons like on elevators and cash machines or check-out registers, even your cell phone, computer and your vehicle’s steering wheel.

• Avoid shaking hands or having close contact with others who are sick.

• Stay home and away from others if we feel sick, and call a physician for advice.

• Get plenty of rest, eat properly, drink plenty of fluids, do our best to stay healthy.

AND, PLEASE, LET’S ALL:

Remember that we can always safely “touch” others with a smile, a kind encouragement, an act of kindness, prayer and compassionate humanity.

Stay calm and use wisdom rather than give in to irrational fear. What we are facing can be scary, for sure, but let’s face it with heart, community, sensitivity and grace.

COVID-19 and Tooth Sensitivity

Having COVID is no fun. Most of us will use our entire arsenal to get better quickly! We’ve all heard that staying home, “Social Distancing”, washing hands, not touching faces, getting plenty of sleep and fluids, and eating a healthy diet are the standard pieces of advice. And did you know the severity of COVID illness is related to gum health? All these things make sense! One recommendation may have an unwanted side effect though.

Vitamins

During the pandemic and when sick with COVID, some of us also choose to take extra vitamins, including Vitamin C.  While Vitamin C is generally considered safe for most people to take, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many other sources indicate that there is no clear evidence that Vitamin C is helpful for prevention or cure of COVID-19. However, there are studies indicating Vitamin C deficiency seems to be correlated with people being more susceptible to infections and pneumonia, and also with having a lowered immune response. 

So for those who do choose to take Vitamin C as part of their fight against coronavirus, it may be helpful to know that one little-known but common side effect of taking Vitamin C can be Tooth Sensitivity: a brief sharp pain that often happens when a person eats or drinks something very cold or hot.

Tooth Sensitivity

The causes of sensitive teeth can include a cavity, cracked tooth, broken filling, teeth grinding, gum disease, receding gums, or worn enamel. Another cause of this sensitivity can be acid erosion. Acid erosion happens when the enamel of a tooth is exposed to acidic food or drink, stomach acid, or things such as Vitamin C – particularly if it’s the chewable kind. This acidity can cause the enamel to lose minerals and soften. While this softening can be temporary, if the tooth enamel is repeatedly exposed to acid it will gradually erode to leave the underlying dentin exposed and nerves irritated.

What You Can Do

If your tooth sensitivity becomes constant, painful, or you experience swelling or other additional symptoms, call us to discuss before it becomes worse. If your sensitivity remains mild, and you tend to eat or drink acidic things – or you’re taking Vitamin C – there are options you can try to gain some relief and also help prevent additional enamel erosion and future problems:

• Reduce your intake of acidic drinks such as sport drinks, fruit juices, etc., and drink them quickly or use a straw to limit the amount of time the liquid lingers on your teeth. Swish your mouth with water afterward.

• If you are chewing Vitamin C, consider switching to a different form of C that doesn’t remain in your mouth so long. Also swish with plain water afterward, or even swish water with a little baking soda mixed in it – and then spit it out.

• Avoid acidic foods, drinks and vitamins right before bed or while exercising when you produce less cleansing saliva.

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, and brush more gently.

• Switch to a toothpaste made specifically for sensitive teeth.

• Avoid tooth-whitening treatments, which often increase sensitivity.

• Talk with us. There’s a possibility your pain may be caused by high spots or teeth grinding. This is far more common than you may think, and we may be able to help alleviate your pain with simple remedies.

Dry Mouth and Tooth Sensitivity

A constant flow of saliva is our natural defense against acid erosion and tooth sensitivity. However, some prescription medications as well as over-the-counter medications such as decongestants can cause dry mouth. Incidentally, dry mouth is also a risk factor for other serious concerns including oral cancer (see our post on oral cancer for more information). Staying hydrated with pure water is a good first step. If dry mouth is a continued issue for you, be sure to let us know. There are helpful products that can bring relief to this dryness, and we’ve found that some products are more effective for our patients than others. Keep in mind that mouth dryness can have serious consequences so it’s not something to simply dismiss!

The Bottom Line

We all want to do everything we possibly can to keep our families and ourselves healthy.  But sometimes our efforts to be safe in one area of life can cause problems in other areas, as in the case of chewing Vitamin C. It’s tempting to try the many suggested home remedies we hear or read about on the internet, but these ideas can be unhealthy or even dangerous. The wisest thing to do is to stick with respected sources for information, such as the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Teuscher Legacy Health Blog, and, of course, call your physician and/or call us when you need individualized advice and questions answered. We are always happy to help.

Stay healthy!

P.S.- if you have any questions about this, or are in need of cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry, or general dentistry in St Charles, Illinois, give us a call or text! We’d love to help!