We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and daily routines in the coming weeks. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to patient safety. As you are aware, the Governor of Georgia has begun to slowly open the state. With that being said, I want to ensure you that we are taking every precaution prior to opening our doors, on May 11th 2020, and treating patients. We will start with a phased approach making sure everyone is safe as we begin the reopening of the office.
Infection control has always been a top priority of the practice and you may have seen this through your visits to the office. Our infection control practices and procedures are made so that when you receive care, they are both safe and comfortable. We would like to tell you about the infection control practices we follow in the office to keep our patients safe.
Our office follows the infection control recommendations of the American Dental Association (ADA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. This is done so that we can make sure our infection control procedures are current and adhere to the recommendations of the agencies mentioned above.
You may notice some changes when you return to the office for your next appointment. We have made changes to protect both patients and staff. For example:
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask you some questions. You will be asked those same questions on the day of your appointment as well as have your temperature checked.
- We will have hand sanitizer placed at the front desk and reception area. We ask that you use it upon entering the office.
- You will notice that our waiting room will not have magazines, newspapers, and so forth, as these items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Clear partitions will be placed at the reception desk to protect the front office staff.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing among patients. That may mean you will be offered fewer options when scheduling.
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times, as well as reduce the number of people in our reception area. Patients may also be asked to wait in their vehicles and contact the office upon arrival.
- We have also continued to use our intraoral suction devices which have the ability to collect over 90% of aerosols produced.
We have also made a number of changes which may not be visible to you upon your return. For example:
- We have installed air purification systems in each treatment room to assist in the purification and removal of bacteria and viruses in the circulating air. These units have been tested and approved for use in a dental setting.
- Our staff has spent numerous hours reviewing and enhancing our infection control skills so we can be current with all modalities.
- A significant amount of time was spent cleaning and disinfecting all areas of the office for your safety.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we have taken to keep you and the office staff safe. Your safety and that of the staff is a top priority.
Warmest Regards,
Steven G. Berwitz, D.M.D. and Staff
