Coronavirus General Guidelines
Office Protocols
Your appointment – What to expect
General Guidelines
We have all been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Life, as we know it before, has changed and while we are looking forward to getting back to normal, there will be some modifications to contend with for the near future.
Dentistry has been containing the spread of microbes in our treatment areas for decades. The early 1980’s and the AIDs outbreak changed the way treatment was delivered. We have instituted strict protocols, known as “Universal Precautions.” These protocols allow us to provide treatment safely to any patient regardless of their medical status.
Universal Precautions – are infection prevention measures that apply to any patient regardless of their health status.
These precautions are designed to protect both the patient and the dental staff from spreading and contacting disease.
These measures include:
- Sterilization of instruments
- Disinfecting surfaces
- PPE (gloves, masks, gowns, etc.)
- Hand sanitizing
- Advanced training/continuing education
Our office abides, strictly, by the guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Dental Association (ADA), our state governor, and county public health officials.
To that end, we have modified and renovated the waiting area, expanding it to allow for physical distancing.
We have added multiple hand sanitizing stations throughout the office.
Certain procedures that may produce more aerosol have been minimized and when absolutely necessary, done under high speed air section.
We are rigorously disinfecting all surfaces between patients including any and all surfaces, chairs, doorknobs, and screens.
We are scheduling patients such that there is minimal overlap between patients, maintaining social distancing. Our top priority is your safety and the safety of our staff. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to us by phone (805) 527-2266 or email office@kellerdsm.com.
Office Protocols:
Our staff has undergone extensive training in additional safety protocols and sterilization techniques to ensure your visit is safe.
What to expect:
We will be calling you before your appointment with a series of questions regarding COVID-19.
You will be asked to call us once you arrive at our parking lot and we will notify you when the office is ready for you.
Please remember to bring with you your mask as you walk into the facility.
Your temperature will be taken and the questions will be reviewed for any changes. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. We will direct you to the restroom where you will use a mouth rinse for 30 seconds and discard in the sink. Once completed you will be directed to the designated treatment room.
We have sufficient personal protection equipment (PPE) including N95 masks, gowns, gloves, and face shields. The office is completely disinfected between patients including surfaces and doorknobs.
You will notice that there are no magazines in the waiting room. That is to prevent cross contamination and is following the guidelines set down by the CDC.
We are here to provide exceptional care under a safe environment to you and our staff. We appreciate your cooperation and patience and look forward to seeing you soon.
Hand Hygiene
Hygiene is a very important measure to prevent the spread of infections.
Water and anti-bacterial soap should be used as often as possible. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer are an effective tool as well. Guidelines for hand hygiene can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/patients/index.html.
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
PPE refers to wearable equipment designed to protect health care providers from exposure to infections and toxic materials. PPE should effectively cover skin and clothing likely to get soiled from saliva, blood, or other potentially infectious materials.
PPE includes face mask, shields, gloves, gowns, and surgical caps. Office staff are trained to select and remove the PPE in a methodical way to prevent contamination.
We recommend to 1) keep hands away from face, 2) limiting surfaces touched, 3) removing PPE before leaving operatories, and 4) hand hygiene protocol.
Reminder
- Do not use same gloves for different patients.
- Do not wash gloves.
- Hand hygiene immediate upon gloves removal.
- Remove all PPE before leaving operatory
Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette
Respiratory hygiene is infection prevention measures designed to limit the transmission of respiratory pathogens spread by droplets or airborne routes.
Key recommendation:
- Minimize number of patients at the office at the same time. Minimize/avoid accompanying patients wherever possible.
- Review COVID-19 questionnaire prior to patient arrival to verify that patient is in good health.
- Signs posted in practice guiding patients to:
- Cover mouth/nose when coughing and sneezing.
- Use and dispose of tissues
- Hand hygiene after contact with respiratory secretions
- Mask on at all times during treatment
- Hand sanitizer and tissues available throughout the office
- Masks are available for those in need.
