Infection Control

The Center for Disease Control and The American Dental Association have developed science-based guidance on extra steps we can take, in addition to the infection control procedures we’ve always followed, to help protect our patients and staff. Here’s what you can expect at your next appointment. Pre-screenings: we will communicate with all patients prior to visits including screening questions, and conduct pre-screening before entering the office including taking temperatures. Personal Protective Gear: anyone entering our office is required to wear a protective face mask, which should remain on unless otherwise directed. New Waiting Room Policy: we will limit the number of patients in the office at one time to allow for social distancing, including the waiting room. We may ask patients to call us by phone from their car when they arrive, and will notify them when to come inside. Hand Sanitizer and Disinfectant: when entering the office we will provide antimicrobial hand disinfectant as well as antimicrobial mouth rinse prior to any treatment. Staff Protocols: Staff members will have additional protective gear such as the use of a KN95 mask, surgical mask, face shield and disposable gowns. ALL STAFF HAVE BEEN INOCULATED

Before Your Appointment To help make sure that patients arriving for their appointments are healthy, we may call you before your appointment and ask you some questions about your current health. We may also repeat these questions when you arrive to make sure nothing has changed. We may ask that you limit the number of people you bring to the appointment. That could mean leaving your children at home or allowing older children to go into the office alone while their parent waits outside during their appointment. In The Dental Chair: you may notice some things look different from the last time you were there. Dr. T and his staff may be using different protective equipment than they’ve used at previous appointments. This could include different masks, face shields, gowns and goggles. These additional precautions help protect both you and him. After Your Appointment After your appointment is over, the staff will thoroughly clean the areas where you’ve been using disinfectants that are effective against the virus that causes COVID-19 to prepare for the next patient. This helps reduce the risk of illness being passed to others.