COVID-19 Safety Protocols You Should Anticipate During Your Next Dental Visit

You must have heard it said countless times that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives forever. It is a fact that the pandemic has altered the way we live our lives and operate daily.

For instance, we can no longer walk in public places without wearing a face mask, something that just a few months back was a foreign concept to many of us. We also have to practice social distancing, one of the critical COVID-19 prevention tips issued during this uncertain time.

We are trying to begin the long process of rebuilding our lives. This has come as a relief to everyone, mainly because we had reached a point where we wanted to resume living our lives.

For the dental fraternity, it came as a breath of fresh air, as we were allowed to reopen our facilities and begin handling all dental cases. Our dentist in Palm Beach, Dr. Mitchell Josephs, like other dental professionals, could not wait to start working on the backlog of dental appointments, which seemed to have piled up since we were not accepting walk-ins.

Safety Standard Measures for Dental Offices During COVID -19

As exciting as this time may seem for us, we all need to keep in mind that the virus is still here with us. This means that we cannot stop executing and following the prevention tips issued against the virus.

Even though our patients no longer have to look for remedies for dealing with dental pain at home, we have to approach our reopening with caution to prevent the pandemic from spreading further.

In light of this, there are safety tips during COVID -19 that you should anticipate encountering at our facility during your next dental appointment. These may include;

Before Your Dental Appointment

Things will be a bit different this time. Unlike before the pandemic, patients could walk into our facility without booking a prior appointment. However now, you have to call and book an appointment before showing up for dental your dental procedure.

This is because we have to schedule all our clients and ensure that there is only a given number of people at the facility at a given time due to social distancing guidelines.

Apart from this, we will need to obtain vital information from you beforehand to help us ascertain that you have not been exposed to the virus and that you do not pose a risk to the staff or other patients within the facility.

When you call to book your appointment, you may be asked to limit the number of people accompanying you to the facility. This is done to ensure we regulate the number of people within our waiting room and facility at any given time.

During Your Dental Appointment

These are some of the safety guidelines you will encounter during your dental visit:

• You will be required to keep your face mask on at all times.
• When you arrive, we will conduct prescreening by taking your temperature.
• You will be asked to help us fill in a quick health questionnaire and consent form.
• One of our trained staff members will walk you through some of the safety protocols and answer any questions you may have
• You may be asked to wait within your vehicle when you arrive at the facility to reduce the waiting room interactions.
• The waiting period may be a bit longer than usual. We have to clean and sanitize every surface the previous patient was in contact with before allowing you into the facility.
• There will be sanitization stations available for you to disinfect your hands before entering the dentists’ clinical room
• The waiting room will seem a bit boring than usual because all the magazines and books will not be available to reduce the surfaces patients come in contact with during their visits.
• We have Extraoral dental suction that aids in removing droplets and aerosols associated with oral care.
• We also have a medical grade filtration system and a UV light disinfectant to keep the virus and germs away.
• You will notice that every surface you come in contact with will be sprayed and sanitized after you leave as a precautionary measure.
• Our dental team may be dressed in more personal protective gear than before. This may include level 3 face masks, face shields, and disposable protective coats and hats.
• No handshakes and hugs are permitted for now.

After Your Dental Appointment

• Our entire facility and all the surfaces will undergo a deep cleaning and sanitization process every evening after we close for the day
• All our instruments and equipment undergo sterilization after your appointment

Despite the uncertain times, have no fear. We are here for you. Contact us today for safe and excellent dental services.