COVID - 19 Update - Part II
Thank you for your continued patience and support while we gathered the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep our patients and dental team as safe as possible. Our new standard for PPE includes N95/KN95 mask and surgical mask, face shield, isolation gown and gloves for all aerosol-generating procedures. For added safety, our reception area now has plexiglass installed on both sides, and a new central HEPA grade air filtration system was installed in May and catches particles down to 0.1 microns in size.
On May 27, 2020, the American Dental Association (ADA) released additional information to enable dentists to provide dental care in a safe and healthy work environment for employees while reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread for all. On a weekly basis, we are tracking the rates of COVID-19 in Linn County through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our local zip code through Johns Hopkins University & Medicine's Coronavirus Resource Center. Currently, and thankfully, we are experiencing minimal community transmission, and we will continue to follow the guidance of the CDC using strict adherence to Standard Precautions to provide dental care to patients without suspected or confirmed COVID-19. We will continue to balance the need to provide necessary services while minimizing the risks to patients and staff.
On May 29, 2020 the ADA welcomed the updated guidance for dental settings released by the CDC. This guidance echoes the science-based guidance issued in April by the ADA, including:
- Calling patients prior to scheduled appointment to ask about current health status
-Advising patients to wear a face covering when entering the practice
- Limiting number of people who accompany a patient to the appointment
- Completing temperature checks for all patients on arrival
- Social distancing practices for patients while in the office
- Appropriate PPE for all staff members to ensure an environment is a safe and healthy as possible for patients and dental team
- Hand sanitizer available and cleaning surfaces regularly
We have added several Monday's to our summer schedule to help accommodate rescheduling appointments that were missed in March, April and May. We will continue to call and send recall reminder cards out as well. We have increased the length of appointments to allow for the extra time needed for the additional PPE, social distancing of patients, and time to properly clean and disinfect the treatment rooms.
Please see COVID-19 Update Part 1 for additional information. We look forward to seeing you soon!
