Annual sickness

[You]

Being dentists are exposed directly to patients breathing, my guess is dentist gets sick or full dose of whatever airborne early every year. Is this correct assumption?

When you get out one day and have your own practice, have you consider how you would handle already scheduled patients on days or weeks where you just can't go to work at all?

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[I'mFillingFine]

Well, you should always be using masks and washing your hands a ton. I haven't seen dentists who get more sick than any other person or health professional...in fact, they're super healthy since they choose their hours and get in lots of family/hobby time!

Weird but awesome fact: I've been rinsing with Listerine twice a day for 2 years and have NOT gotten sick, when I used to get a bad cold every other month. (I've had minor colds, but only when I forgot the Listerine.) keep lots in your office.

 

[DrJeff]

Overall, I really haven't gotten sick from patient contact over the last decade, and I have actually never gottne a flu shot as a precautionary measure either My office staff generally doesn't suffer from any great amount of patient transferred cold/flu symptoms either, it's simple universal precautions betwenn masks, gloves, and most importantly hand washing a ridiculous number of times each day.

Nowadays, I actually find that I'm much more likely to catch a cold from daily contact with my kids (ages 3 and 1) who spend 5+ days a week in what i like to call the jouvenile petri dish (a.k.a. daycare )

 

[toofache32]

Just be glad you're not a female and get sick monthly.

 

[You]

Wow, thanks for the feedback. That is surprising to hear. I wonder why...is it because they would reschedule themselves rather than going? I guess I'll have to try the Listerine b.i.d. to keep me from juvenile and office co-workers petridish. lol

PS: what would you do if you do get sick? Reschedule? Shut down the office? Refer them to your close dentist friends?

 

[DrJeff]

Wow, thanks for the feedback. That is surprising to hear. I wonder why...is it because they would reschedule themselves rather than going? I guess I'll have to try the Listerine b.i.d. to keep me from juvenile and office co-workers petridish. lol

PS: what would you do if you do get sick? Reschedule? Shut down the office? Refer them to your close dentist friends?

If I get to the point where I'm just feeling too sick to work, then my receptionist gets to call up my patients and reschedule them. If any patient has any dire emergencies and just can't wait to be seen, either my partner if he's working that day would see that patient, or I'd call up one of my fellow dentists in the town wheer i practice and ask them if they could see that patient as a favor for me.

In the state where I practice, hygenists can practice with the direct presence of a dentist in the office, so if both me and my partner happened to be out sick, our hygenists could still see patients that day, so atleast some income would be generated by the practice that day

Often though if a solo practictioner is out sick, then the practice is closed for the day, and no $$ gets generated for the practice that day

 

[QCkid]

Overall, I really haven't gotten sick from patient contact over the last decade, and I have actually never gottne a flu shot as a precautionary measure either My office staff generally doesn't suffer from any great amount of patient transferred cold/flu symptoms either, it's simple universal precautions betwenn masks, gloves, and most importantly hand washing a ridiculous number of times each day.

Nowadays, I actually find that I'm much more likely to catch a cold from daily contact with my kids (ages 3 and 1) who spend 5+ days a week in what i like to call the jouvenile petri dish (a.k.a. daycare )

I liken them more to little incubators then petri dishes.

 

[S Files]

Wow, thanks for the feedback. That is surprising to hear. I wonder why...is it because they would reschedule themselves rather than going? I guess I'll have to try the Listerine b.i.d. to keep me from juvenile and office co-workers petridish. lol

PS: what would you do if you do get sick? Reschedule? Shut down the office? Refer them to your close dentist friends?

no, no no, to protect yourself from the flu, follow cdc, osha, or some other guidelines. listerine ain't gonna do squat, no scientific merit to that. it's just coincedince that the poster had that experience. and to answer the original question, i haven't seen or heard of dental office personnel haven't any greater risk of illness than any other member of the population. bottom line is practice strict infection control protocol and all will be good. when i get sick i would have the associate see the patients, or give the patient the option of rescheduling.

 

[claydds]

Wrong post