Coronavirus Letter

A Message from Your Dentist about the Coronavirus

As health officials seek to contain the coronavirus outbreak, unprecedented safety measures have been issued for our protection. We want to reassure you that The Maryland Center for Complete Dentistry is also taking extraordinary measures to protect your health and wellbeing.

Your Protection Against Exposure

As a healthcare provider, we are held to higher sanitary standards by law. We follow all OSHA requirements including fully sanitizing exam rooms between patient visits, sterilizing dental implements after patient visits and wearing protective gear such as medical gloves and masks.

To further protect you and the community, we’ve prepared this message to alert others to the connection between one’s oral health, immune system and bodily diseases—including viruses—and provide additional preventive tips.

Link Between Oral Heath, Illness and the Immune System

This tooth decay and gum disease create inflammation which, in turn, damages your gums’ blood vessels and allows bacteria into the bloodstream. By its nature, this bacteria not only evades the immune system, it manipulates it so the harmful bacteria can continue to survive. As your immune system weakens, your susceptibility to diseases like the coronavirus and other infectious illnesses increases.

These harmful bacteria can also trigger other health issues such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease, pneumonia and, for expectant mothers, premature birth and underweight babies.2 And, as health officials continue to warn us, the coronavirus is more likely to be contracted by those with underlying medical conditions.

Warning Signs of Oral Decay and Infection

If you are experiencing any of the following signs of bacterial decay or infection, we strongly recommend you come see Dr. to address the issue:

• Severe tooth pain

• Swollen face, cheeks or gums

• Sensitivity to hot or cold food or beverages

• Sensitivity when biting down

For patients who already have a compromised immune system, eradicating oral decay and infection is even more imperative.

Of course, if you have any signs of illness, stay isolated and seek medical attention as warranted by coronavirus health guidelines.

Stay Calm

Despite the alarming headlines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the risk of Americans being exposed to the coronavirus is low and that most cases are mild. On our last check, the CDC was reporting 3,487 cases of coronavirus in the U.S. amid a population of 329 million. That means just a fraction of one percent of all Americans have the virus right now and it’s likely symptoms are mild. Compare that to CDC estimates of at least 36 million U.S. cases of the flu over the 2019 – 2020 flu season (March 1, 2019 to March 7, 2020) with a minimum of 370,000 million flu hospitalizations.

In the meantime, continue to follow CDC guidelines and if you are experiencing signs of oral decay or infection, do not ignore them. Come see us to get it rapidly addressed and eradicated as a health risk.

Best regards,

The Staff at

The Maryland Center for Complete Dentistry

Jonathan E. Silverman DDS, MAGD, FICOI