How We Are Keeping Our Patients and Staff Safe From COVID-19
I want to take this time to reach out to you all and reconnect to let you all know what we've been up to during the Novel Corona Virus Pandemic. I want to state that our #1 priority is and has always been the health & safety of our patients, and, of course, to provide you the highest quality dental care we can!
I am sure most of you have questions and concerns regarding the safety of dentistry during this time, so we would like to share the measures and actions we are taking to ensure your safety here at our office.
First, the normal operating procedures here will be a little bit different in the “Post-Novel Coronavirus World”. At least until researchers come up with therapies and/or a vaccine! We will be implementing some new systems in our practice to mitigate the risk of disease transmission here.
What to expect when you come to the office? Prior to your appointment, when Dina calls you to confirm your appointment date and time, she will ask a few quick questions regarding your medical status, and any symptoms suggestive of illness. We ask that if you are ill with a fever, coughing, etc. to please reschedule for when you are well.
When you come to the office, Dina, Elina, Pam, Lisa or I will meet you at the door to take a quick, touch-less temperature scan of the forehead, have you sign a COVID-19 Consent for treatment form, have you Purell your hands and then escort you directly to your treatment room.
We will be spacing out our patient appointments so that there is only one patient on the dentistry side with Lisa and me, and only one patient in the hygiene side. For the most part, no one can wait in the waiting room, although all of the furniture has been replaced with leatherette chairs, spaced over 6 feet apart, that we sanitize anytime someone has sat in it. We will, of course, accommodate people escorting children or elderly patients. You will notice that all the Magazines have been removed.
All surfaces will be disinfected with Hospital Grade Disinfectants (as we've always done in the past) between patients. All doorknobs, light switches, etc. will be disinfected every 30 minutes throughout the day! This will mitigate the risk of any infectious disease transmission via surfaces.
There are automatic Purell sanitizer dispensers in the Waiting room and at both ends of the hallway and in the Bathroom. In addition, Clorox or Lysol Disinfectant wipes are in the Bathroom, along with the automatic germicidal soap and towel dispenser and automatic, no-touch-lid waste disposable can.
Ever since the HIV epidemic in the 1980s, Dentistry as an industry has employed “Universal Precautions” (masks, gloves, “single-use” disposable equipment, etc.) to mitigate disease transmission. In addition, you will see that we wear a face shield and PPE gown, and even more things in the operatory are covered.
The most concerning transmission routes for infection, including novel coronavirus, is via “'aerosols”. Dentists and hygienists have used “High Volume Evacuation” (HVE) routinely for decades to capture aerosols generated by dental handpieces (drill) and ultra-sonic scaling devices. HVE reduces aerosols by 90%!
We will continue to use HVE for all procedures that generate aerosols. This includes increased use of the Isolite soft silicone rubber bite block suction device.
We have also invested in 5 medical-grade 2.5 micron HEPA air filtration units placed throughout the office which will completely clean/turn over the air every 10 minutes, or six times per hour and destroy virus, bacteria, and mold with both UV-C Light and Ozone that is neutralized before re-entering the room.
You will also notice that Dina's desk is protected with large Plexiglass Splash Guards and we have upgraded the credit card machine to allow no-contact Tap-the-Card or secure-chip technology.
We want you all to know that we are taking all possible precautions and measures to ensure your safety, and the safety of our team here!
We miss you all and look forward to resuming operations to provide your dental care needs in a safe and caring manner.
Simon W Rosenberg DMD and Staff
