PATIENT PROTOCOLS

All patients will need to be informed when confirming and making appointments of our new procedures (as explained below). We must pre-screen at confirmation that there is no illness. WE need to assure that these protocols are being followed.

Patients are to avoid waiting in the waiting rooms. Thus we ask you to please wait in your car and call us when you have arrived. We will either have you come directly in or call you back when it’s time to come into the office. We are trying to continue to have as much social distancing as possible.

PLEASE DO NOT BRING OTHER PEOPLE TO APPOINTMENTS (MINORS OR ELDERLY MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY 1 ADULT).

If you have a fever over 100.5 or are sick or have been around someone who has been sick within the last 14 days, please do not come into the office unless it is a dental emergency.

We will be doing COVID-19 pre screenings on all patients. This includes a small questionnaire and taking your temperature when you arrive. This should take no more than a minute.

PLEASE WEAR A CLOTH OR SURGICAL MASK TO THE OFFICE! If you don’t have one, one will be provided for you when you arrive. You will be asked to remove it for dental procedures of course and asked to wear it out.

All non-essential items in opertories will need to be removed for increased cleansability (this includes brochures, models, pens, displays, etc…)

All patients will need to be screened prior to entering the opertory, this includes filling out the Covid-19 screening form and taking their temperature.

All dental staff are required to wear a mask at all times while in the office, this includes in the waiting, checkout, and other areas.

When treating healthy patients all staff must wear an N95 mask that will be reused with a surgical mask over it (to be disposed of between patients) and eye protection that covers the sides and front of eyes OR  a level 3 surgical mask, a face shield, and High Evacuation suction. Both of these options have been shown to be N95 equivalent and may be used according to your comfort level. A lab coat or surgical gown is to be worn when seeing patients and should be changed after high Aerosol creating procedures.

Whenever feasible the use of Isolite suction or rubber dam are to be used to avoid excessive aerosols. When not possible High Speed Suction is to be used throughout the procedure.

Each team member is to take their temperature at the beginning and end of each work day and record it in the temperature log. Any staff member that is ill or has a fever over 100.5 will be required to stay home.

Hands should be washed frequently or hand sanitizer is to be used.

Door knobs, furniture, front desks, and bathrooms should be sanitized after every patient uses these areas. The person working the front desk is in charge of these areas.

All rooms that are used throughout the day should be wiped down again at the end of every day. This includes wiping down the front desk area, doors, and all bathrooms.

In the situation that we need to see a sick patient or one who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. They are to be the last patient of the day with no other patients scheduled. They are only to be scheduled if it’s a dental emergency. Anyone seeing this patient must wear a surgical gown, the previously prescribed face/mouth/eyeware, hair covering, and double sanitize the opertory and waiting areas afterward. The room this patient was in will be wiped down and sterilized the following morning as well.

Keep social distancing with each other as much as possible (6 feet apart).

When opertories are cleaned after patients please place specific attention to areas with 6 feet of patients mouth, this includes the floor, counters, cabinets,

When checking out patients all staff should wear gloves and a mask, CC should be placed by patient into machine, pens used to sign receipts should be given to patient or have a protective plastic cover over them, and keep a 6 foot distance if possible.

Patients should be scheduled in Hygiene so that room 1 and 2 can be alternated and operative patients alternate room 3 and 4. Ideally we will try to keep patients in rooms 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 so that there is always a room in between patients in the office at the same time. If a patient is checking out, we need to wait before another patient is brought up to keep safe social distancing.

Minimize transfer of paperwork as much as possible.