(San Francisco, CA, Wednesday, August 5, 2020) – COVID 19 has changed a lot of habits in the last four months, and many of those habits could be affecting our teeth and gums. Being proactive about your oral health and home care routine is more important than ever.

Poor oral health is closely linked to a slew of chronic conditions and other health problems – especially for seniors and those who are more vulnerable to complications from COVID-19.

Dentists are following ADA and CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 and taking every precaution necessary. When you’re able to see the dentist, there will be some changes to the procedures you’re used to in order to reduce the risk to you, your dentist, and their staff.

It’s essential for people to stay on top of their oral health. A small issue, like a cavity, if left untreated can require much more extensive – and expensive – procedures like a root canal or extraction. Oral health is closely linked to overall health, and your dentist may be able to spot other health problems – like certain types of cancer – early on.

It is important that people keep or make regular appointments with their dentist. Studies show that the simple act of getting a cleaning once a year can reduce oral health care costs and other health care costs. So even if you missed one cleaning this year due to COVID-19, going once this year can still make a big difference.

Sarah Chavarria addresses these questions:

• Why you should be proactive about your oral health and tips we have tips for what you should be doing to take care of your teeth and gums (as well as information on tele-dentistry).
• What to expect at the dentist in our brave new world (safety measures and new protocols);
• Why you should make or keep your appointment with the dentist.

Since 1954, Delta Dental of California has offered comprehensive, high quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of exceptional dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California network includes its affiliates, Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., and provides dental benefits to 36.8 million people across 15 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association of 39 independent Delta Dental member companies that collectively cover more than 78 million people nationwide.