JUNE 8TH OFFICE OPENING
We are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of our patients and employees for June 8th dental hygiene opening.
Your health and safety have always been our #1 priority.
We monitor all our staff with a daily screening of body temperature and any signs or symptoms are questioned and signed.
Before the patient is admitted, their temperature will be taken and they sign a checklist for COVID-19 screening.
We have never stopped safely treating any and all emergent care, throughout this ordeal.
We have been forced to push the date back twice, due to late or changed information delivered to us at the last moment. For that, we apologize to all of our patients.
Our office adheres to the stringent procedures outlined in the CDC and Prevention's Guidelines for infection Control in our Dental Health Care Settings. The thorough and rigorous cleaning, sterilization and disinfection of all instruments and surfaces are routine and second nature to us, as they are throughout dentistry - precautions that make dental offices highly uncommon sources of disease transmission. These are the steps we always follow to keep you and ourselves safe, including the additional precautions we've implemented specifically to address COVID-19.
HOW WE SANITIZE EXAM AND TREATMENT ROOMS : Before you enter the exam room, all surfaces have been cleaned and disinfected, including the dental chair, the light, all handles, and countertops. Anything that has a potential to be touched is disinfected and all sterile barriers are changed out. The professional-grade chemicals we used are certified by the CDC and the ADA to eliminate viruses and bacteria. We also have professional HEPA Air filtration machines in place to remove any air born particles. Our staff always thoroughly wash their hands before and after each appointment.
HOW WE SANITIZE OUR INSTRUMENTS : Our nondisposable items like the mirrors and drills are carefully disinfected in a machine washer and then sterilized in an autoclave our sterilization bay. We test these machines every week through an outside company. Once again, our cleaners, detergents and other chemicals being used are designed specifically for clinical and not household usage.
HOW WE USE DISPOSABLE ITEMS : We use as many disposable items as possible, such as needles, gloves, masks etc. After each patient, disposable items are carefully discarded following all guidelines and all members involved wash their hands before and after.
HOW WE ARE RESPONDING TO COVID-19:
We are taking extra precautions including:
- Cleaning our office with the EPA's list of registered surface disinfectants.
- Following all national, state and local guidelines with all Personal Protective Equipment.
- Pre-screening patients and not treating anyone with a fever or a respiratory illness.
- Daily pre-screening all staff members when they arrive at work.
- Taking extra care to regularly wipe down all common touch points like door handles.
- Added multiple true HEPA air purifiers throughout the office and treatment areas.
- Added a UV - ionizing unit to our HVAC system.
- Streamlining our appointment check ins, by having patients wait in their cars and we will text you in when your treatment room is ready for you.
- We are asking patients to come in alone to their appointments.
- We removed all unnecessary items from our reception area.
HOW WE ARE PROTECTING OURSELVES : The safety of our dental team is job #1. So we recently upgraded some of our PPP we use in the office to align with the new CDC guidelines. Because like you, we have family and loved ones who rely on us, so working safely is extremely important to us.
HOW WE ARE WELCOMING YOU BACK : You will notice some changes in advance of your next appointment. We will be asking you to wear a mask to your appointment, we will take your temperature upon arrival and have you sign a consent form. While these steps are inconvenient, they are necessary to ensure we're doing everything we can to protect all of our patients as well as our team.
Dental care is vital to stay healthy and prevent minor issues from progressing into painful, complex and expensive conditions. Please rest assured that our office is one of the most thoroughly cleaned and disinfected environments you can possibly be in. We've missed you, and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Sincerely,
The Staff at Cohasset Dental