Is it safe to go to the dentist during COVID-19?
Our New Normal
Since the shutdown, it’s been so nice to be back to see all of our patients. Things may look a little different now, but we are happy to be serving people and creating healthy smiles. If you’ve been wondering “is it safe to go to the dentist” —the answer is yes! At Dental Reflections Dublin, we have made some changes in the office to ensure our all of our patient’s safety. If you have not been into the office lately, here is what you may notice that has changed since you have been here last.
NEW PPE GUIDELINES
With the new guidelines for PPE, we had to make a few changes on what we wear to protect ourselves and our patients. You will notice we will be wearing a scrub cap to cover our hair to keep any bacteria out. We will also be wearing 2 masks with higher filtration levels. One mask we will wear all day and the other we will change after each patient. We will also have a face shield on. This wraps around our head and covers our entire face to prevent any aerosols or splatter from touching our face. Lastly, before we leave each day, we change our clothes to launder our scrubs at the office so that we keep our families safe when we go home. Each employee also has their temperature checked each morning upon entering the building.
NEW PATIENT GUIDELINES
Prior to each visit, we screen all of our patients over the phone. We ask if they have had any symptoms including loss of taste, fever, cough, etc. and if they have been in contact with anyone that has tested positive. When a patient arrives at our office, they call us to let us know they are here. We then go out to their car with a whiteboard with the patients first name written on it. Masks are mandatory for all patients to come in our office until they are seated in the dental chair. We do a temperature check and give hand sanitizer to each patient before they enter the building. Once the patient is seated, we have them rinse with an antibacterial rinse to help decrease the bacterial load in the mouth. We then suction it out vs. spitting it back in the cup.
OTHER SAFETY ADDITIONS
We have also installed air purifiers in each operatory and our hallways to ensure the most cleanliness as possible. We are wiping down door handles and additional surfaces that patients or employees may touch throughout the day to prevent any cross contamination. We have taken the upmost precautions so that everyone feels safe while they are in our office. We look forward to seeing all of our patients and getting everyone caught up on their dental care!
