The safety and well being of our patients and staff are our top priority.
Dentists have been managing these concerns for a myriad of highly infectious diseases for decades, and are well poised to maintain safe clinical environments for both our patients and the dental team. As a profession, we have always confronted the new realities of infectious diseases head on, and developed guidelines that have made the public and profession safe. All dental patients are treated with ‘standard precautions,’ the assumption that everyone is infected with one of the many possible infectious diseases we fear contracting or spreading.
CHANGES BEFORE YOU ARRIVE:
- All high touch surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected, magazines and pamphlets have been removed from the reception area.
- All staff will be screened daily for signs and symptoms of Covid-19 infection. Staff with a fever, or respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat will be asked to return home.
UPON YOUR ARRIVAL:
- We ask that patients and their companions wear appropriate facial protection, and practice social distancing. If the reception area does not permit adequate social distancing, we will ask that you please wait in your car, where you will be contacted by mobile phone when it is your turn to be seen.
- We will take the temperature of both the patient and their companion upon entering the office, and ask you about symptoms of sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing.
CHANGES TO PROTOCOL, PRECAUTIONS FOR YOUR SAFETY
- In addition to standard precautions, we have instituted Transmission -Based Precautions. Most of these precautions take place unobtrusively before and after your treatment, but you may notice additional changes to our routine. In addition to wearing ASTM Level 3 or greater surgical masks, we will be wearing face shields for many procedures. Disposable gowns will be worn by all dental health care personnel. You will be asked to rinse twice with a disinfecting mouth wash before we begin your care.
- We will be scheduling more time between patients to allow for enhanced Transmission Based Precautions, so please be patient with us if there is a small delay in your appointment time.
SCHEDULING:
- During the period of mandatory limitations on non urgent dental care, we have been and will remain available to help you with dental emergencies. As we resume necessary routine care, we expect a gradual ramp up to full capacity. If you have an existing appointment, no action on your part is required. If you are aware of needed treatment but do not have an appointment, please call the office to schedule.
- We understand that many people are now behind schedule for their dental hygiene care, as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions, and we are all deeply concerned about this. We are working diligently to reschedule your appointments and will be adding additional hours to help alleviate the backlog.
WHEN DO WE EXPECT TO OPEN:
As of this time, all dental offices in NJ are still under the restraints of Executive Order 109 which directs us to limit dental treatment to emergency care only. This directive has not been relaxed. We agree with the opinion of the New Jersey Dental Association, and feel confident with the new guidance relayed to us, that we can provide necessary dental care in an environment that is safe to both patients and staff. This opinion has been communicated to the governor’s office. We are hopeful to be permitted to open in the near future, and will announce this as soon as we are given clearance.
In the mean time, stay safe, and be healthy.
