Visiting the dentist during COVID 19

Post lockdown in Delhi beginning march 24^th, I was in a dilemma as to what the future has in store for us dentists…will COVID 19 change the face of dentistry forever? Since we work so closely to the patient’s mouth and most of the dental procedures are aerosols generating, it was needless to say that the patient’s and the dentist’s protection was the topmost priority. Well, I spent hours attending webinars, reading journals and speaking to various colleagues….I was on top of things as to what sort of a gear I would need in my and the patient’s best interest and it seemed that I shall have the PPE kit delivered to me in no time when I needed….well…a patient called as one of her old fillings came out and her tooth was sensitive. I advised her on the phone and told her that I should be able to attend to her in a couple of days.  I called a supplier of a certified N95 mask (whose number was promptly shared by a medical colleague) and asked him for 20 pieces of the mask. Well, to my surprise, he asked for a minimum order of 1000 pieces. I posted my query on a B2B site and at least a 20 people contacted me but they were again all wholesale suppliers. Moreover, without a proper certification and without looking at a sample how was I to know the quality of the product? The presence of duplicate PPE kits in the market was not completely ruled out. My regular supplier’s shop had been closed since the lockdown. I called another well reputed supplier for a N95 respirator but the prices were exorbitant. Rs 600 for a single piece…it was ridiculously high!!!! Well, I finally called my regular supplier and he said that would be opening his shop the next day and he should be able to provide me with a proper gear in about a week to 10 days….