Dear Patients,
As healthcare professionals, we want you to know we care about you and our community related to COVID-19. In the last few days, the precautions taken have heightened, and therefore, we want to update our patients on what our current protocol is. As well as the updated hours and appointment statuses.
The safety of our patients and our team is always our number one concern at Oceanside Gentle Dentistry. All of the currently recommended protocols were already in place in our office, as infection control is an integral part of our medical facility, and our team is highly trained and takes very seriously our infection control process. Our strict sterilization procedures have not changed, and have always protected us and our patients from both blood borne and respiratory pathogens. The chemicals we were using have been tested and are effective against COVID-19, so we will continue using them when cleaning after each patient. We will continue to wash our hands, change our gloves and masks and glasses appropriately.
In addition to our already stringent standards, we have been brainstorming and are trying to go above and beyond in our infection control protocol, so we have implemented some of our own changes:
- We have removed every paper, pamphlet, model and decoration from our treatment rooms.
- We will be seating patients upon arrival and we will be wiping our door handles and frequently touched surfaces every hour.
- We will be screening our patients for signs, symptoms and risk factors that may make them a carrier of COVID-19. We will be prepared to take all patient’s temperatures.
- We ask that our patients would please follow hand washing guidelines set out by the CDC (wash hands rigorously with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds and rinse thoroughly with water).
- If patients would prefer to wait in their car rather than in the waiting room, we will gladly call you when your treatment room is ready, so that you can be escorted directly to your room. (Please just let us know ahead of time if this is your preference.)
- We will be having patients rinse with a hydrogen peroxide mouth rinse for at least 30 seconds prior to their dental appointment, per the American Dental Association’s COVID-19 specific recommendation.
If you have an appointment with Oceanside Gentle Dentistry and currently have any flu-like symptoms: fever, cough, runny nose, please call and we will reschedule your appointment. If you have zero of the said symptoms and feel like you have a dental emergency, please call us so our team can screen the call and determine if it is necessary for you to come in for an appointment. Please call our office at Oceanside Gentle Dentistry and you will be directed via voicemail on who to contact if we are not in the office.
We are closely watching the recommendations of The Centers of Disease Control, The World Health Organization, and The American Dental Association.
We appreciate your trust and confidence in us! Thank you so much for your continued support of our team.
