To All Our Patients,
We Care for Your SAFETY! Please read this IMPORTANT information about our COVID -19 Practice updates.
As we are preparing to re-open for Elective and Emergency Dental care, we implemented strict disinfection protocols at our offices and adding new Equipment to ensure Safety of our Patients and Team members. We will be seeing all our patients at our Natural Smiles location (Riggs and Alma school ) till end of May .
Patient Screening
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All Patients are required to fill our new COVID-19 screening forms before being seen.
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Filter patients during the phone calls when scheduling appointments for care using recommended screening checklists and scripts.
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We do NOT treat COVID-19 Positive or Suspected COVID-19 Patients at our office. However we will Refer them to local hospital for Emergency Dental Treatment.
Social Distancing
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When booking patients, we are spreading out the schedule and allowing Only one patient in the waiting area at a time.
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Patients can also WAIT in the CAR and will be given a courtesy call by the staff member once we are ready for them to come in to avoid waiting in the reception area.
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Prioritize high-risk patients (immune-compromised, over 60 yrs etc.) with early morning appointments so less contact with other people.
Safety Measures Upon Arrival
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Leave office door open to avoid contact with door handles or call the office so our team member can open the door for you.
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Post visual alerts (e.g., signs, posters) at the entrance door advising patients of the COVID-19 risk and advising them not to enter the facility when ill.
Measures Upon Arrival of Patients
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Immediately escorted to a hand washing / hand sanitizer station.
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Check fever and patients are allowed to proceed with treatment only if body temperature is normal. (97- 99 F )
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Asked to rinse with 1-2% hydrogen peroxide before each appointment.
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Escorted into an examination room as quickly as possible upon arrival to avoid lingering in the front office.
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Hand sanitizer stations for Entry/Exit of practice.
Personal Protective Equipment for Team
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PPE (kn95, level 3 masks, gloves, cap, eye protection, face shields, gowns, shoe covers.
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N95/kn95 respirators will be used instead of a face mask when performing or present for an aerosol-generating procedure.
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Put on eye protection (i.e., goggles or a disposable face shield that covers the front and sides of the face) upon entry to the patient room or care area.
Medify-air HEPA 13 AIR PURIFIERS
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We invested in medical grade air purifiers that capture 99.9% of particles down to 0.1 microns and improve the quality of air indoor.
DRY-SHIELD SYSTEMS / RE-LEAF TO REDUCE AEROSOLS
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Dry-shield performs all of the tasks of a high-suction evacuator, bite block, tongue shield and oral pathway protector in one easy-to-use device. It’s an intelligent breakthrough in isolation that brings unmatched levels of ease and comfort to doctors and patients alike.
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It reduces the saliva droplets and Aerosols in the working environment.
Patients in the Operatory
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Healthcare personnel (HCP) will strictly follow basic infection control practices between patients (e.g., hand hygiene, cleaning, and disinfecting shared equipment).
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No other team member other than the treating provider and Dental Assistant should enter the room during a procedure and if necessary, should use PPE as described above.
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After this time has elapsed, the room should undergo appropriate cleaning and surface disinfection before it is returned to routine use.
Training and Educating Our Team
One of the most important things we are doing during this time is to Train and Educate our Staff.
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We have practiced the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) prior to caring for a patient to prevent contamination.
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We have everyone in the office take their temperature at the beginning of every day and keep a log in.Sick employees will be sent home right away. All our staff have been practicing social distancing with their families.
We are confident that these guidelines will help to create a safe environment for all of our patients and Team members and hope that you can feel Secure in the knowledge that we are doing everything in our power to provide the safest clinical conditions in order to protect our patients and our Team.
We also introduced our HIPPA compliant Tele-dentistry platform for virtual consults. To book an Appointment, pl click below and select a Reason for your visit.
https://app.nexhealth.com/
You can also call us at 480-802-8686 /480-840-1101 to make an Appointment.
LIKE AND Follow us on FACEBOOK for more updates:
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Stay safe. Pl practice Social distancing. Wash your hands!! Brush and floss!! We got this! We have each other and this AMAZING community to get us through this!!
Dr. Suneeta Annamareddy and Team
