The world has changed a lot in the past few months. Your physical contact outside your home has significantly decreased, and you’ve had to take other measures, like wearing masks and frequent hand washing. While hugging and shaking hands are currently not recommended, that doesn’t mean that you can’t greet the people you care about. Along with new safety protocols, your dentist in Columbia is using creative greetings to limit contact and keep everyone in the community safe. Here are a few you can try in the office and beyond!
Creative Greetings for You to Try
Some may be more unique than others, but there have been plenty of greetings used in history that involve little to no contact. There are even some new ones that are being popularized now. Here are a few safe ways you can say hello to others:
Elbow bump: This is probably the most common new greeting. This involves bending your right arm and touching elbows with the other person. While this does create physical contact, your elbow is much less likely to later touch your face than your hands.
Namaste: This is a customary Hindu greeting that is commonly used in India and other Southeast Asian countries. It is used both for greeting and parting. This involves pressing the palms together with the fingers pointing upward and the thumbs close to the chest. It is often spoken with a slight bow. This greeting involves no physical contact, which makes it more ideal to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Coronavirus curtsy / bow: While these traditional greetings have recently fallen out of fashion, they are still used in certain situations, like performances or meeting with royalty. A curtsy traditionally involves a girl or woman bending her knees while bowing her head. Bowing is done by both men and women and remains more common. It is the act of lowering the torso and head in the direction of another person.
More creative greetings: Other creative greetings people have been using include jazz hands, peace signs, air high-fives, and finger guns.
What Greetings Should You Avoid?
There are certain greetings that are best left aside until we get through the COVID-19 pandemic because they require close physical contact. Some of these include:
- The traditional handshake
- Hugs
- High fives / fist bumps
- La bise (cheek kissing)
Together, we are doing our part to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases. By using some of these greetings, you can reduce your risk of contracting the virus or unknowingly spreading it to someone else. Look out for one of these greetings next time you visit your family dentist in Columbia, because the team will definitely be sending some your way.
About the Practice
At Beck Dental Care, Dr. Victor Beck, Jr., Dr. Matthew Hart, Dr. Kyle Williams, and Dr. Philip Matthews offer a variety of high-quality, expanded dental services. They believe that nothing is more important than the health and safety of their staff and patients. For the time being, they have taken 25 additional steps to make their offices as safe as possible. This includes saving handshakes and hugs for a later time. For more information on how to safely greet others or to books an appointment visit their website or call (931) 388-8452.