Added Precautions At Your Appointment

We have complied with strict OSHA-mandated protocols to maintain a highly sterile environment within our practice. These guidelines were created to safeguard against the spread of highly contagious diseases such as tuberculosis and measles, and they are equally effective in managing the spread of influenza and coronavirus. Please review the extra precautions we are taking so you know what to expect at your next appointment.

At Your Next Appointment

When you come in for an appointment, we are asking you to follow certain procedures to maintain the health and safety of everyone involved.

When You Come In

  • Please come alone. Do not bring your spouse, children, or any other people, unless you need assistance.
  • Please reschedule your appointment if you are feeling ill. Do not come in if you have a fever or cough, or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19.
  • If you arrive early or see other patients in the waiting room, please wait in your car and call our office so one of our staff can inform when you can enter.

Steps We Are Taking

Below is a summary of the steps currently in place to ensure patient and employee safety:

  1. Employee Health Screening: All employees undergo health history screenings before starting employment. We strictly enforce sick policies that require employees with communicable illnesses to stay home from work until they have clearance by a physician to return. At this time, employees are required to wear masks at all times. They are also having their temperatures monitored daily prior to starting their shift.
  2. Patient Health Screening: All patients experiencing flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing) will be rescheduled. Cancellation fees will be waived. Patients will be asked to complete a COVID-19 screening form before their appointment. In accordance with CDC and ADA recommended guidelines, temperature will be checked and peroxyl rinse will be given at the start of every appointment.
  3. Sterilization Procedures: The foundation of our infection control procedures is based on requirements established by the CDC. It states that all patients are treated as infectious since any patient can be asymptomatic or unaware they are infected with whatever. This has always been the standard of care and not new due to the current threat of Covid-19. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used (gowns, protective eye glasses, masks and gloves) are designed to ensure this safety precaution. We have added face shields and N95 masks following the new recommendations from OSHA and ADA. These items are washed and disinfected or discarded between patients to mitigate any patient-to-patient transmission. Strict surface sterilization procedures are followed to clean and disinfect all operatory surfaces between patients. After each use, all dental instruments are heat sterilized in individual sterile pouches.
  4. Common Area Disinfecting: We have taken added precautions in the common areas. All magazines and pamphlets have been removed. Door handles and front counter will be cleaned after every patient with disinfectant wipes. Hand sanitizer is the first thing we give you when you come in. According to the CDC, the most important steps we all can take to avoid infection from airborne diseases are frequent hand washing with soap and water and regular cleansing of highly-used surfaces with disinfectant. We recommend that all our patients take these basic precautions.
  5. Aerosol Control: True HEPA H13 grade Air Purifiers are placed in the office. Intraoral high volume suctioning will be used more often. Polishing stains will be limited to anterior teeth. Hand scaling instead of ultrasonic cleaning will be favored.