LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky dental offices have been given the green light to re-open and many are more ready than others.
Dr. Russell Waugh, a dentist in Lexington, is following the new guidelines and adding even more protection. Today he had a company install a cool plasma ionizer to cleanse the air in his Custer Drive office.
"The way I understand it, it ionizes oxygen molecules and it tries to attract other molecules such as virus or bacteria and destroys them. It also clusters them so they can be picked up in a filter," said Dr. Waugh.
Like many dental offices, his staff has always used personal protective equipment, but now he has added more protection: face shields.
"I've never been someone to use a face shield, but now a lot of people are going to be using that because you still use a mask, but a face shield is just one more layer," said Dr. Waugh.
There will be no more patients waiting in the lobby. For the time-being, patients will wait in their cars, have their temperatures checked before entering the office, then be seen. Even staff will have temperature checks at the beginning and end of their shifts.
"Dentistry has always been good with PPE, really, even on a daily basis for all procedures so we don't make a whole lot of changes, but there are a few little items we're doing," said Dr. Waugh.
