Dental Office Safety Protocol – Allentown, PA
Our Commitment to Safety
We sincerely hope that all of you and your families are in good health and have weathered the recent Covid Crisis. Our entire nation has been through a lot over the past few months and we are all looking forward to resuming our normal lives. While many things have changed, our commitment to your health and safety has remained the same.
Infection control has always been a top priority in our office. Our processes assure that your care is both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures that we follow in our office that aim to keep you as well as our staff safe.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance they may offer. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.
Consequently, you are going to see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. For example;
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again when you come to the office. We will also take your temperature upon your arrival.
- We will have hand sanitizer in our reception room and will ask that you use it when you enter the office.
- We will no longer have any magazines or newspapers in the office reception room or treatment rooms
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients.
- We will ask that you call us upon your arrival to the office and to wait in the parking lot. If we are not immediately ready for you, we will call or text you when we are. For your safety and ours, we also ask that you wear a mask when you enter the office
- We ask that you limit the number of people who come with you to your appointment only to necessary caregivers.
- No one else other than the patient will be allowed in the treatment room.
We look forward to seeing you again and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we have implemented in order to keep all of us safe and healthy. To make an appointment, please call us at 610-432-8037.
We recognize times have changed. Priorities have shifted. Today, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our staff and patients.
With this in mind, we are happy to share the 20 additional steps we are taking to make every visit to our office as safe as possible. These actions are incremental to our normal standards of care that meet or exceed all CDC, OSHA and ADA guidelines for dental practices.
Our goal is to add peace-of-mind to the friendliness and clinical excellence you have come to expect. Of course, this is part of an on-going commitment that will evolve with the times. As always, we welcome the opportunity to answer any of your questions and to address all concerns.
We are in this together, and we will never underestimate the power of a smile!
Advanced Staff Training
Each member of our team has completed additional awareness and prevention programs to enhance their knowledge and preparedness.
Daily Health Checks of Our Team
No contact temperature checks and a quick set of questions will ensure our team is ready, willing and able to provide safe dental care – every day.
No Handshakes or Hugs
We truly do love our patients. However, we will save our hearty welcomes and goodbyes for a later date when things are "back to normal".
Personal Hygiene Standards
Along with short hair or hair that is worn up; this means no long fingernails, no jewelry, and no watches for any team member while in the office.
Virtual Waiting Room
Now, you can check-in from your car. As a result, you are able to minimize contact with others, bypass the reception area, and go directly to your treatment room.
Sequenced Patient Scheduling
Plain and simple, we are not seeing as many patients. We are allocating more time between visits for coming, going and cleaning.
Pre-Screening of Every Patient
A quick health questionnaire and consent form along with a no-touch temperature check will be completed when you arrive at our office.
Expanded Patient Appointments
In an effort to save you time and multiple exposures, we are offering extended appointments. This allows us to do more dentistry in a single visit.
Teledentistry
Some consultations and follow-up visits can be handled via our secure, patient communication portal. It is a cool, ultra-safe, and efficient extension of our office.
Social Distancing in Place
Fewer chairs in our reception area, helpful signs and one-way traffic in our treatment area make 6’ spacing a practical reality.
Cleaning After Every Appointment
We are super clean as we thoroughly wipe, sanitize, and disinfect all instruments, equipment and surfaces in each operatory after every patient.
CDC-Approved Instrument Sterilization
This is standard procedure at all times, and nothing has changed. Anything that goes near your mouth is heat and pressure cleaned between every use.
N95 & ASTM Level 3 Masks
The beautiful smiles of our clinical team – dentists, hygienists, and assistants – will be protected behind double-masking at all times.
Front Desk Masks
Even our friendly administrative team will be wearing ASTM Level 3 masks. Don’t worry. They are smiling behind those masks!
Face Shields
Two masks are not enough. Our clinical team will also protect you and themselves through the use of FDA Approved PET face shields.
HEPA Air Filtration
Our air has never been cleaner. We have added HEPA-grade filters to our HVAC system along with stand-alone air cleaners in each operatory.
No Magazines or Activities
This may make our reception area a little less exciting, but it makes it much safer as well.
Installed Clear Barriers
Hard plastic guards have been placed strategically throughout the practice – and are cleaned regularly – to help block the movement of airborne particles.
Thank you very much for trusting us with your oral health needs. We are looking forward to seeing you again!
Eric Marsh, Michele Pisano-Marsh, Trudy, Debbie, Suzanne, Joan and Sharon