Your questions, answered "I'm 77 years old and next week I have a previously scheduled teeth cleaning appointment. The past two days, however, I've been having an extremely painful toothache on the same tooth my dentist did work on last year — a cavity beneath a capped tooth. Do you have any info on the safety or danger of having work done to relieve this constant pain?" —Heather in Mississippi If you're having pain with a known issue, even during a pandemic, you should take steps to get that fixed before it turns into an even larger problem. Coronavirus is a risk wherever we go, but a painful tooth that could be on the verge of infection is an acute issue, so make plans to get that taken care of in the safest way possible. The first thing you should do is call your dentist and see how appointments have changed and what precautions they are taking. Because dental offices take their cues from the American Dental Association, many are operating on the same guidance no matter what state you're in. Rudy Liddell, a practicing dentist in Florida and the former president of the Florida Dental Association, is taking precautions in his office that the ADA has recommended to all practices: rigorous and frequent surface cleanings, asking patients to wear masks when they're not in the chair, and most importantly, health screenings before the appointment. Offices are calling patients two or three days before their appointment to ask whether they're experiencing any common covid-19 symptoms. They are also performing temperature checks at the office for another layer of precaution. "If we can keep the patients who are sick from ever getting to the clinic, that's three-quarters of the battle," Liddell said. For Heather, our reader with the acute tooth problem, Liddell suggests requesting to be the first patient of the day, which will further reduce her exposure. Most importantly, Liddell says, we should keep regular appointments to prevent bigger problems from cropping up. Patients are used to going to the dentist every six months or so, but "if they get thrown off the schedule it can drop off their radar," Liddell said. Keep the appointment to stay in the habit and maintain good overall health. | 
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