Doing our part in the COVID-19 crisis

By | April 3, 2020

What I have been thinking a lot about in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is that I don’t think any of us ever dreamed about being called on to help out during a global health crisis or having to close our offices as part of trying to stop the rampant spread of this virus. As updates and advisory notices started pouring in, this went from being something that you heard about on the news that was going on overseas, to being THE topic of conversation everywhere: in person, on social media, on texts and emails.

Photo of Dr. Simpson

Dr. Simpson

I work in a Federally Qualified Health Center, and we remain open to be available for emergency patients so that these patients don’t go to hospital emergency rooms and take resources needed for patients with other types of urgent health issues.

After the COVID-19 outbreak hit the United States and the first recommendations for dental offices were released, our director sent out a schedule for the staff at both of our clinics. Hygienists were being sent home until April, and at each office, only one assistant would be working.

At the smaller of our two clinics, the assistant would be doing front office work and also assisting chairside. We are also rotating the schedule, and none of our staff is working full time at this time.

Naturally, panic ensued. Then word came in that we should only be seeing emergency patients. Text chains and emails filled our inboxes and smart devices with recommendations from our local, state and nationwide dental organizations. Patients were called to reschedule their visits, and some called in themselves and wanted to defer being seen.

I must admit that being at work during this time has been very stressful for me as we are inundated with stories from our own cities and around the globe with cases that have had negative outcomes. No one seems immune from this as we’ve seen people who we think would be the pinnacle of health, from professional athletes and actors to our nation’s lawmakers, test positive for the COVID-19.

We can never gauge someone’s pain, we can only hope that they are honest in disclosing their level of pain and the severity of their need to be seen, and above all at this time, that they are forthcoming in their possible symptoms of COVID-19. The balance between being compassionate to someone’s declared oral pain and need for emergency treatment, and my own need to stay healthy and not potentially spread the virus if I somehow contract it but show no symptoms, can be exhausting.

I think for the most part, there are just a couple of reasons that people become dentists, and I think there are also only a couple of things that we picture our lives will be like once we become one.

We want to help people, we like healthy smiles, and for many of us, we picture having our own dental practice. We picture what the operatories will look like, we dream about how big the office will be, the area of town it will be in, and the patients whose lives we will change. The dream may even extend to what it will be like to be a business owner. I stared dental school in 2005 and have been practicing almost 8 years, and I have rarely heard a unique story of how someone decided to become a dentist. But I don’t think there is anything wrong with that at all.

There is so much more to being a dentist than we can dream for ourselves, building up to the day we are licensed and go to work. I certainly never dreamed that I would be sitting in my office, after having had my temperature taken to make sure I don’t have a fever, waiting to see if a patient calls in with a dental emergency so that I can do my small part to divert a patient from the ER. I never dreamed I would be worried that someone would come in to see me, and I would be leery of them having a highly contagious respiratory virus but showing no symptoms of it. I never would have dreamed that I would work somewhere where the building manager would come through with a sheet for us to sign after we used a mask so that we could keep track of how many we have on hand.

Who can measure the grandness of our dreams when we picture what our life will be like starting our career? And while the grandness of our dreams is generally matched by our day-to-day lives working and seeing our patients, it’s the reality of unexpected occurrences in our day-to-day lives that gives depth and breadth to our dreams.

Visit ADA.org/virus for the latest ADA information on COVID-19.

Dr. Elizabeth Simpson is a New Dentist Now guest blogger. She grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2010. Liz is a general dentist working full time for two Federally Qualified Health Centers in Anderson and Elwood, Indiana. She is a member of the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership program and has started a toothbrushing program at an elementary school in Indianapolis. When she’s not working she enjoys reading, going to the movies, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

16 thoughts on “Doing our part in the COVID-19 crisis

  1. Rosemary Allwood

    Liz, wonderfully written article that shows the depth of your thinking, assessment of the problem for practitioners and your deep commitment to this critical field. I’m sure that many of us haven’t understood the relationship between dental health and overall health! Thank you so much for your commitment to our health.

    Reply
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  3. Chelsea Fosse

    Inspired by you, Liz!! We’re all struggling to find our place in this new world (hopefully temporary, but certain to recur on some level) where we can still fulfill our mission of “helping people,” and to do so within the realm of oral health. Our ability to we embrace this opportunity to support our communities and larger health care systems will pay in dividends in this next chapter of dentistry!

    Reply
  4. Mark Koday

    Hang in there!! You’re a wonderful example of what our profession is all about!

    Reply
  5. Steve Geiermann DDS

    Really appreciate the candid and sense of hope that you embodied in your story. All things do work to the good. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  6. Sridevi Kaul

    Dr.Simpson,
    Thank you for being on the frontline and thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
  7. Twana Duncan, DDS

    Thanks for sharing your perspective. As an employer of twenty and having to furlough them, it’s been extremely stressful. I graduated Univ OK College if Dentistry in 1991 and this is a larger challenge than the AIDS/HIV epidemic. We feel a duty to take care of our patients, our team and families. Never have I felt such a sense of responsibility that if I do not study the literature and guidelines, I may miss something that would have prevented the spread of an infection. I’m grateful for the ADA and it’s updates and emerging news as this is a new virus and we are learning every day. we are trying to learn from colleagues, keep our employees in the loop and teach them as we learn and reassure them they will have a job to come back to, and see emergencies. It’s all challenging but we will overcome. Stay safe is now our new way of saying goodbye. Stay safe!

    Reply
  8. Tisina Samaroo

    Dr. Simpson I missed you! Haven’t seen you since your GPR!

    Reply
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  11. Dawn Clarke

    Despite these difficult times we are at the forefront of shifting paradigms. I am so glad you have shared your story as a leader, this is a wonderful and inspiring piece!

    Reply
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