Dental offices were just one of the types of businesses that were asked to close during the COVID-19 crisis. As dentists and other healthcare professionals re-open their practices to continue patient care, families in Mesa may be wondering, “What is my dentist doing to keep me and my family safe?”
That’s a great question! At Eastport Dental, Dr. Huynh is extensively monitoring the changes and recommendations from organizations like the ADA, CDC, and OSHA (as well as state dental and health experts.) Ultimately, it’s our top priority to keep each of our patients, staff, and associated family members as safe as possible.
Although the safety process is likely to adapt over time, some of the things you can possibly expect to see might include measures like:
Pre-Appointment
To prevent possible exposure between patients and our staff, we’ll conduct a pre-appointment medical screening on each patient. This screening will first take place via phone when we schedule or confirm your appointment, and then again at the time of your visit. Some of the things we’ll review are making sure you haven’t been sick, been around anyone who has been sick, or traveled out of the area to “hot” zones in the last couple of weeks.
Taking Temperatures
Patients and staff will have their temperatures taken using touchless or temple-scanning thermometers. If anyone has a fever or flu-like symptoms, they will be sent home to social distance for the required two weeks. Our staff will have their temperature taken daily, as a precaution for our patients and other team members.
Social Distancing
Please refrain from bringing guests with you. Exceptions would include if you’re a parent who needs to accompany a child, or if you’re planning to have a sedation procedure and need someone to drive you home.
We’re doing our best to schedule our patients so that there are not several people in the office at one time. Overlapping visits will be adjusted so that you will be able to maintain appropriate social distancing guidelines of six feet when it comes to other patients in the building. For that reason, please do your best to arrive on time for your appointment. If you are running late, we will need to reschedule you for another day.
At this time, we ask that you call our office if you need to schedule. Please avoid walk-ins if at all possible. Doing so will help us reduce the number of people in our reception area and possible social interactions with third parties.
Adjusting Schedules
The extensive level of disinfection that takes place between our patients is also being expanded. This means we may need to slightly adjust our schedule or change your appointment time to allow for the time needed for extra precautions while cleaning. Our staff will contact you to confirm your appointment time. If you have treatment that is due or already had an appointment scheduled prior to the coronavirus outbreak, please feel free to contact our office.
Schedules are likely to be adjusted in the next several weeks and months, to help us accommodate the patients whose visits had to be cancelled during the COVID-19 closures. We promise that we are doing our absolute best to work with each patient and their family when it comes to scheduling needs.
Changes in PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) in the dental office has usually consisted of surgical-grade masks and gloves. But depending on the type of procedure that’s being performed, you might start to see things like face shields or surgical gowns, due to the level of aerosols that are created.
And speaking of aerosols, we’ll adapt which instruments we’re using to ensure that the least amount of aerosol as possible is created. For instance, using an ultrasonic scaler during your dental cleaning.
The Highest Quality of Care Possible
At Eastport Dental, we’ve always done everything possible to protect our patients. In times like these, you deserve an oral health provider who isn’t cutting corners or going rouge on infection control protocols. Our extended safety measures allow you to put your mind at ease, so that you can focus on your smile and your family’s quality of life.
Do You Need Dental Care?
Eastport Dental is committed to providing safe family dentistry at our office in Mesa. Contact us today to request your next appointment. Dr. Huynh and our staff are here to help you in any way that we can.
