Four Months Reopening Update

To our beloved patients and family,

it is hard to believe that four months have passed since we reopened the practice. It has been an absolute pleasure seeing our patients to deliver our care, and to reflect on the fact that together we can embrace whatever changes that are going on in the world right now.  One thing our team has realized in this pandemic:  There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome with dedication and hard work.

Every day we continue to strive for excellence in clinical care and patient comfort. Our routines have been enhanced by extra safety measures that make our workdays a little different, yet our patients report that their positive experience has not changed from the perspective of receiving care.  Your overwhelming referrals of new patients to our practice in the last four months have been true testaments to the fact that the practice we have created for our patients is second to none.

As Shelter-in-Place imposes a different life routine for most people, here are some significant dental problems that we have seen happening:

-          Gum inflammation from prolonged lack of professional cleanings and neglect of home care

-          Fractured teeth and restorations due to grinding and clenching from stress

-          Accelerated tooth decay due to frequent use of snacks and beverages

For our patients who are still not comfortable coming in for care, we would like to remind you to be diligent with your brushing and flossing at home.  Gum disease and tooth decay are problems that can complicate treatments if allowed to accelerate beyond control.

Among changes such as paperless documentation, billing, and patient registration, we currently find the following routine to be very effective for our workflow:

A. For the office personnel:

1.       Everyone at the office goes through and answers Covid Health Screening questionnaires.  This is done via a Google Doc that we log in each morning before work.

2.       Everyone at the office takes a temperature reading every morning.

3.       Anyone at the office who may be sick or feel sick will not work.

B.       For the patient coming in:

1.       The patient enters the office with a mask.

2.       The patient answers Covid Screening Questionnaires either from our website or on our iPad.

3.       The patient gets taken back to the treatment room and immediately gets a temperature check.

4.       The patient is asked to rinse with an antiviral solution before sitting down for treatment, only if the temperature is cleared of fever.

C.       During Treatment:

1.       Dentist, Assistant, Hygienists wear N-95 mask overlayed by a second surgical mask.  We all wear droplet repellent head covers and gown.  We all wear face shields to further cover ourselves.

2.       Gloves are constantly changed every time we reach for any other clean instruments and supplies.

3.       We wipe down EVERYTHING with proper disinfectant solutions.

D.       We routinely change out all PPE garments even if we enter a room just to check on a patient.

We as a team all have families to go home to every night.  Hence what we do is not only to protect our patients, but also to protect ourselves and our families.

As we approach the cold and flu season, we ask that you reschedule your appointments if you should remotely feel sick on or near your appointment time.  Furthermore, as the year-end approaches our extremely busy schedule, we do ask that you plan your appointments well in advance and do not wait until last minute due to reasons such as insurance limits or time constraints, etc.

On a positive note, today marks the twenty-year work anniversary for our beloved team lead Stacy Davis.  Please join us to congratulate Stacy on this amazing milestone.  Stacy has played an important role in the success of our practice, and we could not have met a better person twenty years ago.

Thank you for your continued trust in us.  We will continue to work hard in order to make your time spent with us a worthwhile investment.  We wish you and your families continued good health every day.  Cheers to fabulous smiles and excellent dental health!

Best regards,

Alex, Jacob, Stacy, Stephanite, Sienna

Post-SIP Office Reopening Update

To our dear patients,

We hope this email finds you and your family healthy and happy.  We are writing to inform you of our plans in the coming days.  In accordance with guidelines from the local Department of Public Health, CDC, and OSHA, we are making changes and preparations that will allow us to slowly reopen in a manner that is safe for both you as patients and for us as your team of dental health professionals.  At this time we still can only see emergency patients, but we are preparing our facility, PPE supplies, and protocols so that we can fully see all patients for all dental procedures by June 1st, 2020.  Please note that this date is still dependent on continually updated guidelines released by the corresponding authorities, but we are trying our best to be able to accommodate our patients' needs as soon as possible.

This week our team is back in the office to prepare our office space.  Our office design of private treatment rooms continues to provide the best operatory arrangement for infection control.  You will find us in protective gowns, head covers, N-95 masks layered by surgical masks, and face shields.  All garments will be completely changed in between each patient.  To allow extra time to maintain a safe environment and stay focused on quality care, we are reducing the number of patients scheduled each day.  We also have extended business hours to include Fridays for routine care and cleanings. Our plan is consistent with our 27 years of practice philosophy which places the quality of care above all else.

Furthermore, we are implementing a paperless documentation process for administrative aspects.  On our website, under "Patient Forms", all necessary paperwork can be filled out directly and electronically.  You will also have the option to pay your dental bills on the website as well as via contactless payment terminals in the office which can accommodate various mobile payment platforms.

You may have started getting texts, emails, and phone calls from our team in regards to your appointment arrangements. We ask that you kindly respond promptly when you receive communications from us so that we may have the schedule in order in a timely manner.

Our team would like to thank everyone who reached out to check on us in the last few weeks.  We are touched by your overwhelming concerns for our well being, and we wish you and your loved ones continued good health as well.  We will continue to work hard to cherish the priceless relationship established over the years.

Please check our Website , Facebook, and Instagram page for updated information regarding our practice reopening progress.  In the near future we will update you with a more complete protocol for your visits to our office.   Our phone lines are now open, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for entrusting us with your dental needs.  We look forward to seeing you very soon.

Best regards,

Alex, Stacy, Jacob, Stephanie, Sienna

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