Dentist offices are open

It may seem like dental offices were already among the most sanitary of services, but the COVID-19 pandemic has Cloquet dentist Kraig Gunelson dressing like someone from a top secret government laboratory.

To stay safe and follow recommended guidelines, Gunelson and his hygienists wear N95 masks covered with surgical masks, covered by face shields, plus safety glasses.

"They're respirator masks, so we won't be breathing out onto our patients, or breathing in (air or spray from the patients) and affecting (staff) safety."

Additionally, they wear gloves, and disposable gowns that they change between every patient. There are now air purifiers in each room that exchange air five to eight times an hour.

Gunelson said his office was closed for two months in all.

The closure didn't come as a total surprise, as he had been following the coronavirus news since January and communicating with some of his fellow dental school friends as the disease made its way to Minnesota.

Then suddenly, they had two days' notice to stop performing elective procedures by March 18.

"We laid off everybody except for the front desk, so then people could still call," he said. "If there was an emergency, like an abscess, Linda would call and I would come in. We could still take care of the emergencies because the Board of Dentistry wanted to keep everybody out of the emergency room."

The longtime dentist said he worked only a few hours a week for most of the mandatory closure, and enjoyed the time off. "We spent more family time, cooked more family meals, hiked a lot at Jay Cooke, did a little fishing," he said, adding that his oldest daughter wasn't happy to be away from college, but they were happy to have her back home for a couple extra months at least.

Still, he was ready to get back to work after nearly two months away, when the Board of Dentistry notified its members that they could open up on May 11, with restrictions.

Gunelson's office held a "soft opening" on May 18.

"It took about a week to get everything, all the PPE (personal protective equipment), lined up," he said. "I was nervous to get everything right. And I wanted to make sure that the patients would be safe and we won't be doing anything wrong, and I was worried for the employees too."

They are screening patients before appointments by asking questions about symptoms, and taking temperatures when they arrive at the office. Employees have their temperatures taken daily too. Patients also have to sign a form acknowledging that they understand the risk of a visit to the dentist, where social distancing is not an option.

For now, Gunelson said, they are prioritizing patients in lower risk categories who are overdue for cleanings or other treatment. If people have pain or need emergency dental care, he urges them to make an appointment with a dentist. All dentists are following the recommended COVID-19 guidelines.