What patients can expect as we reopen our practice?
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. In addition we will be practicing Transmission – Based Precautions.
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 mouthwash 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.
We feel confident with the new guidance relayed to us, that we can provide dental care in an environment that is safe to both patients and staff.
In the meantime, stay safe, and be healthy.