May 5, 2020
To our family of patients:
We are excited to announce our transition from emergency care to more routine dental treatment on May 11, 2020. Your patience during this time, while we halted conventional dental treatment in an effort to lessen the chances of spreading Covid-19 and work on increasing our measures for infection control, is very much appreciated!
In dentistry, infection control has always been at the forefront of our operations, and our office strictly follows and exceeds all guidelines provided by the:
- NC State Dental Board.
- ADA (American Dental Association).
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
- CDC (Center of Disease Control).
As always, we will continue to thoroughly sterilize all instruments and rigorously disinfect each room between treatments, using medical grade disinfectants that are scientifically proven to be effective against Covid-19. In addition to the in-depth disinfecting practices we have always employed, we have increased all measures of infection control that are much needed at this unfortunate time. You can expect to see the following additional measures at your upcoming visits:
- Commonly touched surfaces in our office will be disinfected frequently throughout the day, using the highest medical grade disinfectants available for use, which have been proven to eliminate coronavirus.
- Pre-appointment phone screening to filter high risk patients.
- Upon arrival to our office, you will be asked to remain in your car and to notify us by phone. A staff member will come to get you directly from your car once we are ready for you.
- All necessary paperwork will be either completed electronically before arrival, or be brought to you in your car for completion prior to entering our office.
- The use of the waiting room area by patients will be eliminated as an increased measure for infection control.
- You will have your temperature checked using a no-contact thermometer, outside of the office, prior to entering
- You will be required to bring your own mask or scarf to be worn over nose and mouth at all times during your visit, except while obtaining treatment.
- You will be asked to proceed directly to wash your hands prior to proceeding to the treatment area. Hand sanitizing stations will be available for your use throughout the office as well.
- Once seated, you will be asked to use an ADA-recommended mouth rinse that is scientifically proven to limit viruses and bacteria prior to treatment.
- We have invested in medical-grade air purifying units for each treatment room. These units are proven to eliminate bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus.
- In addition, high volume evacuation will be in use throughout your entire appointment, in an effort to reduce the amount of aerosols introduced to our office air system.
- Our staff will be screened including taking body temperature daily.
- Our clinical staff will be wearing more extensive Personal Protective Equipment to include N-95 masks, face shields, hair coverings, and lab coats/gowns.
- Our staff is being educated and updated daily about extra measures taken to reduce infection risks.
- For dental cleaning appointments, aerosol-producing instruments will be limited. Instead of ultrasonic instruments, we will be using conventional hand instruments which are time-tested and will reduce the amount of bacteria/ viruses introduced to our office environment.
**This is a more time-consuming method for dental cleanings, but we are willing to invest time in our patients and prioritize their health. We are proud to differentiate our office by focusing on quality of treatment, rather than quantity of treatment**
- We have reduced the number of patients to be seen daily in order for us to be able to take the extra precautionary measures. Once again, it is about the quality of treatment and not the quantity of treatment.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have in regards to our new office procedures listed above. It is always our main priority to keep you safe and informed, and to provide the best possible treatment in the most responsible manner.
Call us at (910) 497-2969, visit our website (www.southernfamilydentalnc.com), or check out our Facebook/ Instagram pages for further information/ details about our office! Contact us for more information.