Emergencies only: routine visits to dentists on hold
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SUNBURY, PA (WNEP) — On a normal day, Susquehanna River Valley Dental Clinic is a busy place. The clinic is three floors on Market Street in Sunbury.
“We see anywhere between 30 to 50 people a day,” said Dr. Maria Tacelosky, DMD.
That number is now a lot less. Routine dental procedures and cleanings are currently banned in Pennsylvania in order to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. Last week Governor Wolf adjusted the restrictions allowing dentists to do emergency procedures.
“They convinced him that dentists should be allowed to treat emergencies so we can keep the sick in the ERs and keep the dental pain to the dental offices,” Dr. Tacelosky said.
Susquehanna River Valley Dental Clinic is seeing one patient an hour.
“When one person comes in, we lock the door behind them. We take them right to the treatment room. We do their emergency treatment only and when that person is dismissed, the operatories are cleaned.”
Since only one patient is allowed inside the building at a time, patients are waiting inside their cars for a text message letting them know when they are allowed to come inside for their appointments.
Dr. Tacelosky defines a dental emergency as anything with pain, swelling, or infection.
“They’re screened through a process on the phone and then they talk to me. If it’s a true emergency, I’ll see them. I’m mostly doing extractions.”
Before the restrictions were lifted last week, Dr. Tacelosky was seeing patients through virtual visits and prescribing medication.
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