COVID-19 Infection Control
Updated 6-12-2021
Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice, and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
- We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office and before you leave. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
- You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, reading materials since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you.
- Each piece of furniture, surface, door handle, counter – all surfaces are deep cleaned with viricidal and bactericidal agents between every patient, and at the end and beginning of every day.
- We have retrained our staff on proper handwashing techniques, the appropriate use of PPE prior to caring for a patient to prevent contamination, how to don and remove. A specific checklist that each team member must follow, before arrival, upon arrival, and before leaving the office.
- We have implemented strict protocols on office wear vs. civilian clothing/shoes.
- Patients are asked to rinse before starting any treatment with a 1.0 % hydrogen peroxide mouth rinse for 60 seconds prior to dental treatment.
- We will be using additional high-speed evacuation systems to reduce aerosols.
- Deep cleaning of all equipment and ALL surfaces is implemented in the most thorough manner using viricidal and bactericidal agents between every patient, and at the end and beginning of every day.
We also offer virtual appointments for new patients and second opinions via iPhone FaceTime, Zoom and google meet. Dr. Kidess will sit with you for a video chat to discuss your desires and goals, answer any of your questions, and give you an idea of what the desired procedures are like. Learn more about your treatment options.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 480-991-2290 or visit our website at www.PVsmiles.com