"The patient is protected, but the problem is that he has to open his mouth"
"Before, we could serve 30 patients a day, and this month, maybe not even 20"
The state of alarm has left dentists without an agenda, but keeps them constantly on guard. Vicente López runs the Dental Center August 31, a family clinic with more than 25 years of experience. Since the coronavirus crisis, he has only been able to attend to emergencies and has had to centralize patients at his three consultations, two in Badajoz and one in Montijo, on Gaspar Méndez Street.
–How is the coronavirus crisis affecting your clinic?
–From the state of alarm we only attend emergencies. The laboratories are closed and for example we cannot implant prostheses. We have centralized all our patients in the Gaspar Méndez clinic.
–Would they have had to cancel the appointments on the agenda?
–But not only on the part of the clinic, since the patients also request to postpone the appointment. The patient who had an orthodontic pending has left it until these exceptional measures are lifted. But we have to attend to the problems derived from orthodontics.
–What are the emergencies they attend to?
–Especially cases of neuralgia due to pulpitis, perioral phlegmon, eruption of the wisdom tooth or infections.
–And you notice that now the number of emergencies is lower?
–They have totally dropped. In the consultation we are seeing 0.5% of the patients that we used to see normally. People are scared by the alarm state. Everything is paralyzed. We practically don't see anyone. Before, we were able to serve 30 patients a day, and this month maybe not even 20.
Do you think that people usually make an appointment, but if you feel better, would you prefer not to leave home?
–If they feel better, they don't come. At best of nine dates only one has dared to come. They usually only come if their mouth hurts a lot or because of a fat infection. If they are not emergencies we tell them to wait. I think people hold on longer and stay home, even if they are in pain for fear of the alarm state.
–How has your routine changed?
–We have a schedule from eleven to two from Monday to Friday and in the afternoon from six to eight from Monday to Thursday. And we have a contact telephone number for serious emergencies. It is an exceptional situation and as toilets we have to be in case something happens. We are obliged to attend emergencies and patients need to be seen.
–How are they organized in the clinic?
–We are new at the clinic. Now the five nurses cannot go and are in an ERTE for the duration of the alarm state. Only those of us who are self-employed, my wife, my two children and I go to the clinic. My daughter is dedicated to orthodontics, my son to endodontics and I to extractions and general treatments. When a patient calls, we ask him what is wrong and he is scheduled. It is as if we did a small medical history before coming in case you have a fever, a cold, feel weak or what hurts. You always have to know who is coming and why he is coming.
–The use of masks and gloves is part of your daily life, but do they have enough material?
–For these days we do have, but as a month goes by we run out of material. No help has come to us. The College of Dentists gives us instructions on what we have to do.
Do you have any fear of contagion when having such direct contact with the patient?
–We always take many precautions. We do not see the patient if he indicates that he has a fever. The problem is that they have to open their mouths. The patients come protected with masks, but for the intervention they have to take it off. In addition to the mask we use screens. The patients know if they are well or not and in that aspect I am calm. Although we are exposed we have to attend to patients.
–The family environment will be almost the same at home as in the clinic given the special situation.
–We have no contact. I see my children, but not my grandchildren. My wife's parents are older and we can't see them either. I live alone with my wife and we go home from the consultation.
Comments
Post a Comment