Dentistry is crucial to boost immunity

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Teeth cleanings might look different following the pandemic, but dentist offices aim to ease coronavirus concerns.

Asham Kaur, owner, and CEO of The Yuma Dentist, bought the company with her husband three weeks before they were forced to close.

The offices closed down at the end of March. However, there are two locations, and one remained open, accepting emergencies only.

Once they reopened in May, patients flooded the office to get their teeth cleaned, but things changed around the dentistry.

Kaur says all employees were required to get tested for COVID-19, and masks are required up until cleaning.

"You have to remove your mask to get your teeth cleaned," Kaur said. "So, the patient will come in wearing a mask, they will fill out the paperwork, they will be tested for the temperature, we will ask them the certain questions we need to ask them, they'll fill out the COVID form."

They disinfect the building every two hours and both offices were fumigated for COVID-19.

"We're spending close to, I would have to say two to 3,000 dollars every month, sometimes even more," Kaur stated. "We get head caps, gloves, footwear, gowns, N-95 masks. Anything that my employees are asking for, we're not saying no and we're getting it."

Dr. Jennifer Enos, President of the Arizona Dental Association, says working from home has put a damper on teeth brushing.

"We get up in the morning, we get ready for work, we brush our teeth before we go out to work, but when we're working from home, that may get missed," Enos explained.

Proper dental care is crucial especially since its tied to our immune system.

"Oral hygiene is very, very important for you to have a good immunity," Kaur stated. "If you're not cleaning your teeth well, if you're having cavities, or if you have, you know, any kind of dental problem and you're not treating it, it's going to go down in your system."

Brushing your teeth can sometimes be forgotten when working from home.