The Importance of 100% Fully Vaccinated Dental Staff and Why You Should Get Vaccinated Too
Although COVID-19 restrictions are not as rigorous as they first were, we should not forget that we’re still living through a pandemic and one of the best things we can do right now is to get vaccinated. We’re operating with 100% fully vaccinated dental staff, but we understand that many are hesitant to take this step. If you are in this group then keep reading because in this article we will tell you why we support vaccination, how vaccination can create a safer environment for us to tend to your dental problems, and why you should get vaccinated too. We will also address some concerns which may be holding you back from getting the vaccine and preventing you from visiting your Los Angeles dentist and getting your teeth fixed.
Why We Support COVID-19 Vaccination
Dental clinics were already following strict safety policies and disinfection procedures before the spread of COVID-19 and the ADA has declared that there are relatively safe even now. Nevertheless, many patients have postponed their routine checkups and cleanings for the fear of getting infected. This fear is understandable because despite all the repercussions and measures taken by dentists and their teams, aerosols and droplets can transfer the disease from one person to another and the dentist’s office is full of them. With the new variants of the virus getting stronger, masks might not be enough to completely protect you from the disease anymore. So the risk is serious. On the other hand, if you keep postponing your appointments, you run the risk of ruining your teeth and suffering from its consequences.
This is where vaccines come into play. While vaccination is voluntary, getting vaccinated and going to a clinic with100% fully vaccinated dental staff is the only way to ensure your safety and getting your teeth checked. Right now vaccination is the best way to control the spread of the virus and that’s why we support it so strongly. Vaccination is especially important to protect patients of higher-risk groups and their families. Immunizing the staff and patients provides peace of mind and allows operations to run more smoothly. After all, dentists as health professionals must keep the overall health of their patients in mind and create a safe and hygienic environment for them.
Staff Vaccination
The dental staff has legal and ethical obligations to keep their patients safe by employing the best practices and following the latest CDC guidelines. Although the staff should not be pressured to reveal their vaccination status, knowing an office operates with 100% fully vaccinated dental staff can help ease the minds of patients. This is confirmed by a recent survey which shows that 64% of hesitant patients will return to the dentist’s office if they know the entire staff has been vaccinated.
As healthcare providers, dentists should encourage their teams and patients to trust the developed vaccines and do their part in controlling the disease. This can be done by talking about the risks of catching COVID-19 without vaccination, the consequences of the disease, and the efficacy of the available vaccines. To keep the new dangerous delta variant of the virus from spreading, there is even a new state policy that has taken effect since August 9 in California. According to this new order, health care workers, including the dental staff, must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or get tested regularly. So if you visit a Los Angeles dentist like Dr. Kezian who is a frontrunner in following COVID-19 safety protocols, you will be greeted by a 100% fully vaccinated dental staff that cares about your health and safety.
Patient Vaccination
Getting the vaccine will not only help prevent the spread of the virus and protect you in the dentist’s office when you finally go in to check your aching tooth or get your implants, but it will also let you return to some of your pre-pandemic activities. Small gatherings and short trips are only some of them.
If you are 16 years and older, then you are eligible to receive the vaccine and reap its benefits. And there is no better time to do it than now because you have multiple vaccines to choose from. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first one to get the FDA’s authorization with more than 95% efficacy. With two shots of the mRNA vaccine, your body will develop immunity against the virus. Moderna’s vaccine with more than 90% efficacy is your second choice. Administered in two shots, 28 days apart, this vaccine uses a similar mRNA technique as the Pfizer vaccine and immunes the body against the coronavirus. You can also choose Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. With 85% efficacy, this vector vaccine is administered in a single shot and has a slightly different approach to immunizing the body.
To receive any of these vaccines, you can visit Vaccines.gov and check their availability and nearby vaccination locations. Many dentists are also administering COVID-19 vaccines and if you’re in California, you can call the Los Angeles emergency dentist, Dr. Kezian, with 100% fully vaccinated dental staff, and get vaccinated there.
But if you’re still hesitant about getting the vaccine, it’s time to address your worries.
What’s Keeping You From Getting Vaccinated? COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Debunked
Along with the benefits of vaccines, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet and social media that raise fear in patients and even some dental staff about getting vaccinated. It’s getting harder to know which of these claims are true and which are false. So we’re going to separate these myths from facts once and for all so you can finally get vaccinated.
Myth 1: The COVID-19 vaccine will make women infertile
This myth came from a discussion among some physicians on social media about the similarity of spike proteins on the coronavirus with placental proteins during pregnancy. They claimed that this similarity can cause the immune system to confuse the placental proteins with the proteins of the virus and attack them instead. But this is not true because the amino acid makeup of the two spike proteins is different so a vaccine won’t affect women’s pregnancy. In fact, after the Pfizer vaccine trials, more than 20 women were able to get pregnant.
Myth 2: I don’t need the vaccine because I’ve already had COVID-19
While it’s true that you’ll get some natural immunity after you catch COVID-19 and recover from it, the level of this immunity is unknown. It can be different from one person to another and scientists don’t know how long it can last and protect you. Some people who have gone through COVID-19 have even reported being reinfected. Here is where vaccines can provide a better and longer protection against the virus and its severe consequences. According to the CDC, if you’ve already been infected with COVID-19, you can wait 90 days and then get vaccinated.
Myth 3: COVID-19 vaccine has dangerous side effects
Like all other vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines also have side effects, but these side effects are mild and subside after a few days. You may experience low-grade fever, muscle pain, headache, and fatigue after getting vaccinated. These side effects are insignificant compared to the damages the virus can cause. Plus, doctors are trained to identify these side effects and will keep an eye on you after vaccination to make sure there are no complications.
Myth 4: Vaccines will put a tracking device in my body
With a 100% fully vaccinated dental staff, we can assure you that this is just one of the many conspiracy theories raised by social media after the misinterpretation of a video. In this video from a company that provides injection devices, buyers have the option to choose a product with a microchip within its label that can help confirm the origin of the vaccine, but this chip is not injected into the body. Other false claims have helped spread this rumor and make people reluctant to getting vaccinated. But there is nothing in the COVID-19 vaccines except components that help you develop immunity against the disease.
Myth 5: The COVID-19 vaccine was developed too fast so it can’t be safe or effective
The mRNA vaccines were developed quickly but that’s only because their technology was being studied for decades. So when the genetic makeup of the coronavirus was identified, it was immediately used to make the vaccines and slow the pandemic. The extensive amount of funding helped speed up the development, although the vaccines still had to pass the rigorous authorization processes and clinical trials to be approved. So rest assured that the available COVID-19 vaccines are completely safe and effective.
Myth 6: The COVID-19 vaccine will alter my DNA
Your DNA is in your cells’ nucleus. The vaccines never enter this area and work from the cells’ cytoplasm to deliver the instructions and develop protection against the virus. So there is no interaction and the vaccines will not alter your DNA.
These are just some of the myths that can make you hesitant and keep you from getting vaccinated. Right now that vaccination can keep you safe from such a dangerous disease, it’s more important than ever to not trust everything you read on the internet and visit reputable sources to get your information.
Now you can safely visit the dentist
As healthcare professionals, dentists play a vital role in encouraging their staff to get vaccinated. Not just for their own health, but the health of their colleagues and their patients. By educating patients on the benefits of vaccination, oral health professionals can help put an end to this disease.
At the office of Dr, Kezian, the emergency dentist staff have all been vaccinated and encourage you to take the next step and get vaccinated too so you can come back for your dental checkup without any worries. If you still haven’t received the vaccine but need to see a dentist, you can schedule an appointment with the Los Angeles dentist, Dr. Kezian, and his 100% fully vaccinated dental staff. You don’t need to neglect your dental needs any longer. Dr. Kezian is still following all the COVID-19 safety precautions and if you haven’t made up your mind about getting vaccinated, he can help you do so.
Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS
443 N. Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 467-2777
http://www.drkezian.com
References:
- California Dental Association– Recommendations versus requirements: Managing unvaccinated employees
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention– Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines
- Mayo Clinic– COVID-19 vaccines: Get the facts