COVID-19 has changed our lives in ways we never expected. We’re all rethinking how to perform daily tasks to make sure we can keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and healthy. A key part of staying healthy means keeping up with important preventative healthcare appointments. This includes dental hygiene appointments as well as a dental restorative treatment.
At Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry, our priority is to provide your dental care in a clean and safe environment. Daily we practice stringent safety precautions and follow recommended CDC guidelines.
These precautions include:
- Screening of patients before each appointment, and taking of temperature upon arrival, for symptoms of COVID-19 — such as cough or fever — and postponing appointments if they have symptoms that could indicate they have the virus.
- Daily screening of staff.
- Requesting patients wait in their car or a spot outside the office prior to their scheduled appointment time.
- Requesting patients to not bring other family members to appointments.
- Requiring masks be worn for patients and anyone with them while in the office area.
- Removal of items such as toys, magazines, and coffee stations [which can be infection sources] from waiting rooms and spacing of chairs to increase personal space.
- New scheduling protocols to decrease patient numbers in the office and decrease time and trips to the office.
- Increase airflow and the installation of air purifiers in the office and building.
- Placement of plastic barriers between patient and reception staff.
- Increased level of PPE used by staff.
- Increased level of disinfection throughout the office.
- Implementation of new high-speed suction devices during patient treatment to control the spread of aerosols.
- Use rubber dams over a patient’s mouth for procedures when possible to limit spray of secretions.
- Patient use of pre rinses prior to procedures to reduce aerosol concerns.
- Alternation of rooms used by patients, letting patient rooms “settle” for long periods of time before another patient enters the room.
- Separate exit and entrance for patients in order to reduce patient exposure to other people.
- When possible email submission of forms and paperwork.
- Here at Fallsgrove Center for Dentistry we try our very best to create a safe environment while still providing our high-quality care and outstanding customer service.
Remember, to let our dental office know prior to your appointment if you are feeling sick, have been exposed to someone with the virus, or have been in high-risk locations so we may discuss the best protocols to keep everyone safe. It takes all of us working together to reduce the spread.
We’re all in this together.
