Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person.
Symptoms Include:
• Fever
• Cough & Sore Throat
• Shortness of Breath
• Runny Nose & Sneezing
• Difficulty Breathing
• Muscle Pain & Weakness
• Chills & Fatigue
The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.
Office Policy
In order to ensure the safety of our patients and employees effective immediately the office will implement the following policies:
• Patients are asked wherever possible to attend appointments alone or with only one transporting party.
• Any team member with cold symptoms have been asked to stay home until symptoms subside and any with flu symptoms is required to call in sick and get tested for COVID-19 immediately.
• Any patient who presents or calls to let us know they have cold/flu symptoms is asked to reschedule their appointment.
• Any clinician or team member who is in direct contact with patients will wash their hands for 20 seconds after contact per our usual policy.
• All hard surfaces will be frequently wiped down with an anti-viral disinfectant per our usual policy.
• Magazines will be been removed from the reception area until further notice.
• Temperatures will be taken for all patients before treatment.
Symptoms Include:
• Fever
• Cough & Sore Throat
• Shortness of Breath
• Runny Nose & Sneezing
• Difficulty Breathing
• Muscle Pain & Weakness
• Chills & Fatigue
The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.
Office Policy
In order to ensure the safety of our patients and employees effective immediately the office will implement the following policies:
• Patients are asked wherever possible to attend appointments alone or with only one transporting party.
• Any team member with cold symptoms have been asked to stay home until symptoms subside and any with flu symptoms is required to call in sick and get tested for COVID-19 immediately.
• Any patient who presents or calls to let us know they have cold/flu symptoms is asked to reschedule their appointment.
• Any clinician or team member who is in direct contact with patients will wash their hands for 20 seconds after contact per our usual policy.
• All hard surfaces will be frequently wiped down with an anti-viral disinfectant per our usual policy.
• Magazines will be been removed from the reception area until further notice.
• Temperatures will be taken for all patients before treatment.
Additional Information
COVID-19 FAQs
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Can I put off my dental appointment until after the COVID-19 pandemic is over?
Regular dental appointments are an important part of taking care of your overall health. While it can be tempting to put off your regular checkup until things feel more “normal” again, I advise against it. Routine appointments give me an opportunity to check for a number of health conditions and catch them early. Some conditions, like tooth decay, can be more difficult, painful and expensive to treat if they’re left undetected.
Your health and safety is, and has always been, my top priority. My staff and I are taking every precaution to limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission at your visit. -
What about teledentistry? Can I substitute a virtual visit for my regular appointment?
A phone or video appointment isn’t the same as your regular appointment. Teledentistry can be helpful in some situations, such as deciding if an oral health issue you’re experiencing is an emergency that requires immediate treatment or if it’s something that can wait a bit. If you think you may be experiencing a dental emergency, call my office and we’ll help you decide if you need to come in. -
What are you doing differently because of COVID-19?
There are a number of science-backed steps my staff and I are taking to help limit the spread of COVID-19. These include:
• Increased personal protective equipment including masks, face shields, goggles and surgical gowns or long-sleeved lab coats.
• Increased cleaning protocols. This includes using disinfectants known to kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, removing high-touch items like magazines and toys from waiting rooms and frequently cleaning items like pens and clipboards.
• Asking you to change your behavior by asking you to wait outside rather than in waiting rooms when possible, wearing face masks and not bringing additional people to your appointment. -
I’ve heard it’s safer to schedule your appointment for first thing in the morning — the office will be cleaner because there haven’t been patients coming through before me. Is that true?
You should schedule your dental appointment for the time of day that works for you. The same enhanced cleaning protocols occur all day long, including leaving the room empty after a patient leaves to allow the appropriate time necessary as part of thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the space between patients. -
How is your dental team monitoring themselves for COVID-19?
Staff at our practice are subject to daily health screenings. This includes taking their temperatures to make sure they don’t have a fever and asking them a series of health-related questions each day to make sure they’re not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. -
I see you added a charge related to COVID-19 to my bill. What’s that for?
The safety of patients and dental staff is my highest priority. Because of the shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), the cost of (PPE) has increased considerably. Our office is including this charge during the pandemic until supply can meet demand and costs are controlled. If you have a dental benefit plan, it may cover some or all of these charges and the ADA has been advocating for payment from insurance companies across the country. However, the outcome is up to each plan. -
You said you cannot see me as a patient because of my COVID-19 risk. Can you do that?
Yes. The safety of our patients and the dental team is our highest priority. As Dentists, we use our professional judgment and guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ADA to determine risk levels for seeing patients. If it was determined that you were high risk, or had a high temperature on the day of your appointment, we can have a conversation about which factors determined delay of service, so that you can self-monitor and reschedule.
What to Expect
We know you have questions and concerns about your next dental visit, and we have answers. Here’s what to expect when you visit your dentist. We can’t wait to see you soon!
New PPE Protocol
We’re still the same smiling dental team under our personal protective equipment. We can’t wait to see you soon! Book your next appointment HERE.
Your New Waiting Room
We can’t wait to see you, and we kindly ask that you embrace our new “waiting room” that includes the great outdoors or the comforts of your car until we call you in for your scheduled appointment time. For more info on post-COVID-19 measures we’ve implemented for your dental checkup, visit MouthHealthy.org/BacktoDentist.
Extra Cleaning and Sanitization
Your comfort and health are our priority. Learn about our additional cleaning and sanitization practices after each patient, in addition to numerous other precautions before, during and after your visit at MouthHealthy.org/BacktoDentist.
Ringer On
A key thing to know before you go — charge your phone and have your ringer on! In the moments before your dental visit, we’ll call you when it’s time to head inside. Reducing the foot traffic and time people spend inside our office is one of the many ways we’re working hard to keep you healthy. For more on the steps we’re taking, visit MouthHealthy.org/BacktoDentist.