Today there remain 15 persons only in the intensive care unit of the hospital of Geneva. This is great news and it shows everybody has been respecting the social distancing and stayed at home as it was requested by the authorities. This is also proof that great things can be accomplished when people act together!

I returned to my dental office two weeks ago. At first there was some sort of a panic as everyone wants to be safe and to avoid for others to catch the virus. We had to answer questions such as: How can we feel safe when we are physically so close to the patient ? Shall we still apply the Guided Biofilm Therapy protocol or not ? Dental professionals really had to sit down, think and study the local recommendations of the authorities. We also needed to show common sense and act accordingly. 

It is important to know that in any dental office, we have always treated and taken care of patients as if they actually were contagious. So covid-19 did not scare me because we have always had good protections, hygiene and infection control measures that protect us and our patients from viruses and bacteria…

It is therefore really unlikely that someone catches the flu or even HIV in the premises of the dental office, even if we use aerosols producing equipments and treat inflamed gums. As healthcare professionals, we know how to avoid cross contamination: keeping ourselves and our patients safe is one of the most important task in our daily work. In "Dental Hygienist", there is the word "hygiene". We are fine and we can continue to deliver the best care to our patients while making sure we wear our PPE equipment and follow the adequate cross infection protocol. In my opinion, if we want to continue using aerosols producing devices, the necessary measures are :

• Making sure the air is either regularly changed in the dental office, or purified with a specific system.
• using a high speed aspiration because it reduces 95 % of the aerosols when used correctly. It also helps to make treatments less messy. As I work alone, I also use Optragate with every patient. As a result, my face shield and my patient are always "dry" after a GBT treatment.
• Wearing FFP-2 masks and face shields is obligatory: they protect us from the ‘’droplets.’’
• Keeping at least 15 minutes between patients to change the air and disinfect twice all the surfaces. (make sure to remove all the objects to disinfect faster) 

Our new look is actually smarter and safer and we should have started applying those measures way before! All those washable charlottes make it trendy too. I don't see how I can bring home any virus or bacteria in my hair. As I tend to be mindful of the environment, I recommend to opt for washable protective equipment or simply to change clothes or lab coat after every patient and desinsfect your arms instead of buying surgical gowns and surgical charlottes that go  into the bin. 

I think that the planet is telling us to slow down a little bit. Having less planes in the air is not so bad after all. So why throw away protective equipment in the garbage? Let’s try to act eco-friendly as much as possible !

I understand the need to abide by the law and that things need to be kept simple: that is why only manual instrumentation is recommended at the moment. Nevertheless we are dental professionals and hygiene is fundamental to us. So if we follow the right guidelines and use our devices properly, why would piezon or airflow be dangerous ?

My devices are in perfect state, my disinfection protocols have never been better so I do intend to deliver the best treatment to my patients. And for me the best oral hygiene treatment is Guided biofilm Therapy.

I sincerely hope the lockdown was not too dificult and I wish you all a good return to your practice.