Dental Offices Ready to Welcome Back Patients in Wisconsin: What to Expect When You Return to Dental Chairs

STEVENS POINT, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oral care is vital for overall well-being and health, and as state stay-at-home restrictions lift, dental offices will welcome back patients with new safety measures. Dental offices’ commitments to care for oral health needs in the safest ways possible may help reduce anxiety of visiting dental offices.

What might consumers expect when they return to dental chairs?

• Scheduling your next appointment may take time, as offices are working through a backlog and prioritizing needs.
• Just like many other medical centers, screenings may take place prior to admittance to the office, such as taking your temperature or asking questions about COVID-19-related symptoms.
• Don’t be surprised by first-hand changes to ensure a safe environment, including:
  • Waiting in your car prior to your appointment
  • Being asked to wear a mask (patients encouraged to bring their own)
  • Restrictions to accompanying visitors, except for pediatric patients
  • Seeing staff wearing additional personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face shields, masks, gowns or head coverings
  • Use of hand sanitizer before and after visits
  • Treatments that are modified and appointments that take longer to ensure sanitization and safety measures
  • Additional Plexiglas dividers and fewer chairs may be seen in lobbies

Delta Dental of Wisconsin is committed to helping dental practices resume providing services, including through a $5 million recovery supplement program to network dental providers. The program helps offset some of the costs of preparing and operating their practices to provide care to members and patients.

In addition, Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation has provided $800,000 in grants to safety-net dental clinics around the state and an additional $100,000 for food security programs to help provide access to care and essential nutrition for the state’s underserved populations.

“Ensuring access to oral care in Wisconsin is our mission,” said Fred Eichmiller, DDS, vice president and science officer for Delta Dental of Wisconsin. “We are driven to do what we can to protect our members and the communities we serve, especially vulnerable communities. We also don’t want people to put off preventive and responsive oral care needs. Postponing treatment of minor dental issues can lead to damaging and painful oral health care problems.”

Consumers may seek out initial consultations through teledentistry, an option that is covered for Delta Dental of Wisconsin members. Many dentists have seen a growth in telecare and have been able to evaluate dental problems remotely through video chats, rather than in-person office visits.

In addition, Delta Dental of Wisconsin members can always call our customer service team if they have any initial questions regarding their plans at 800-236-3712.

About Delta Dental of Wisconsin

Delta Dental of Wisconsin is headquartered in Stevens Point, with sales offices in Milwaukee and Madison. As part of the nationwide Delta Dental Plans Association, Delta Dental of Wisconsin joins 38 other Delta Dental plans to serve nearly one third of the estimated 254 million Americans with dental insurance.