Covid-19 Update

May 11, 2020

Dear cherished patient, friend and family,

I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through so much over the last few months, and I think all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. Some things have changed and are being referred to as the “new normal”. However, many dentists including myself were already implementing universal precautions brought about by the threat of Hepatitis and HIV. Tweaking our infection control/protection practices was relatively easy. What is a bit harder to do will be to protect people from infection via touch and nasal or oral spray (sneeze and cough).

The Universal precautions recommended by the American Dental Association and the CDC Include things used regularly in our office. Some of the safety precautions you may not have already known were in use include a clean water system using distilled water bottles with a water disinfection system that keeps our lines free of lead and microbes.

What makes our job more intense is the presence of virus that may be present suspended in the air of the office during the most innocent exchanges. Due to these challenges we have decided to make the following changes:

Anti bacterial Air purifiers have been installed in the Waiting room and operatories
Common use infection control items or treatment items have been enclosed.
All common “touch” communication devices have been removed or covered.
Hand sanitizer will be available at all windows for use when patients are not gloved.
An extra amount of time following appointments will allow for disinfection and air cleaning.
Our playroom will be closed. Our waiting room is cleaned nightly with ultra violet sterilization emitting ozone.
All patients will be asked allow us to take their temperature and answer an additional form regarding their immediate state of health
We will call to confirm appointments the day before and ask that anyone who is not well or running a temperature above 100 degrees to reschedule
Patients using books or magazines to read in the waiting room should wear gloves, use hand sanitizer or do so at their own risk.
If a patient is running late enough to disrupt the new protocol, we may kindly ask them to reschedule the appointment.
Patients with young children may feel more comfortable managing their behavior by having them in sight at all times. If a family with multiple children should appoint for service, they may be safest waiting in the family car with a secondary adult.

We are certainly looking forward to seeing everyone again and getting back to work (with shaggy hair and 15 more pounds). I would love to hear from you with questions or additional suggestions and encourage you to feel free to call or visit our website http://www.the-toothfairy.com/.

With gratitude,

Marianne W. Schaefer, DDS