COVID-19 PANDEMIC DENTAL TREATMENT NOTICE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RISK

Our goal is to provide a safe environment for our patients and staff, and to maintain the safety of our local community.  The COVID-19 virus is a serious and highly contagious disease.  The World Health Organization has classified it as a pandemic.  You could contract COVID-19 from a variety of sources.  Our practice wants to ensure you are aware of the additional risks of contracting COVID-19 associated with dental care.  The COVID-19 virus has a long incubation period.  You or your healthcare providers may have the virus and not show symptoms and yet still be highly contagious.  Determining who is infected by COVID-19 is challenging and complicated due to limited availability for virus testing.  Due to the frequency and timing of visits by other dental patients, the characteristics of the virus, and the characteristics of dental procedures, there is a risk of you contracting the virus by being in a dental office.

Dental procedures create water spray which is one way the disease is spread.  The ultra-fine nature of the water spray can linger in the air for a long time allowing for transmission of the COVID-19 virus to those nearby.  In order to render appropriate care to your mouth, you cannot wear a protective mask over your mouth to prevent infection during treatment as your health care providers need access to the mouth.  This can leave an individual vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission while receiving dental care.

However, this office is following recommendations as per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Dental Association (ADA), by adhering to standard recommendations for PPE use, disinfection of all areas of patient involvement, and multiple other protocols in order to keep you the patient safe.

The following are additional protocols that we have instituted in our office in order to keep you, the patient, safe.

 

  1. A brief pre-surgical questionnaire will be performed remotely through tele-dentistry (over the phone) at the time of scheduling and confirmation.
  2. Screening of all patients for COVID-19 risk factors and symptoms including temperature checks will be performed at the time of your consult and/or surgical procedure.
  3. Hand sanitizers are offered as soon as you (the patient) enters the office.
  4. All areas that are entered by the patient or visitor are disinfected routinely throughout the day. These include but are not limited to door handles, chairs, bathrooms.
  5. We have implemented transmission-based precautions as per CDC OSHA guidelines and American Dental Association guidelines.
  6. We are adhering to an accepted standard of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) utilization. 

Please complete the patient registration forms. Email any referrals and x-rays to [email protected] or fax to (248)348-2595.  Contact the office with any questions.

For further information, including measures to keep yourself healthy, visit the following links: