Dear patients:
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our communities have been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. Infection control has always been a top priority in our practice. We strictly follow recommendations and guidelines made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This allows us to make sure that our infection control procedures are up-to-date and enables us to provide the safest environment for our patients and their family members. During this time, we have implemented additional safety precautions to help protect our patients and staff:
- Before your appointment, we will communicate with you and ask you COVID 19 screening questions. We will postpone treatment for any patient who has experienced or been in contact with someone who has experienced the following symptoms within 14 days of the scheduled appointment date: fever, cough, loss of taste and/or smell, flu-like symptoms, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, and fatigue.
- We will be scheduling appointments in a manner that promotes social distancing and allows for adequate time for us to disinfect all areas of use in between patient appointments.
- Upon arrival at our office, call us before entering the office to let us know you have arrived. We will call or text you once the office is ready for you to enter. We ask that patients enter the office unaccompanied, if possible. For those patients who need a guardian to accompany them, we ask that this be limited to a single family member.
- We will take your temperature with a contactless thermometer upon your arrival. If your temperature is above 100 degrees, we will have to reschedule your appointment for everyone’s safety. Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, charging stations, children’s toys, and so forth, since these items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Every person entering the office is expected to wear a face covering and will be asked to sanitize their hands immediately upon entry.
Clear plastic screens (sneeze guards) are being installed at the front desk to minimize exposure to airborne pathogens. High efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) air purifiers have been installed in the office to improve the air quality for everyone. Our doctor and staff will be wearing all of the recommended personal protective equipments (PPE) such as long surgical gown, respirator or mask, and face shield.
Thank you for being part of our family dental practice. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends.