Written by: Dr Rothman • June 8, 2020• COVID-19 Dental Health

COVID-19 Reopening Safety Measures

The past few months have been inexplicably surreal as the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly struck us in the blink of an eye and turned our lives upside down. Essentially from one day to the next we were faced with concerns about contracting a potentially deadly virus while being forced to work from home, homeschool our children, and acclimate to a “new normal” that we are still grappling with.

Dentists have been particularly affected by the current pandemic, as state governors had issued executive orders restricting dental procedures to only urgent and emergent care (for 7 weeks in the case of the State of Florida). Now that we have been given the green light to reopen, we are navigating the challenges needed to provide a safe and healthy workplace for our patients and dental teams- and we are getting it done!

Pinecrest Orthodontics has always been committed to the safety of both our team and our patients. Infection control has consistently been a top priority for our practice while we concurrently maintain a warm and comfortable environment for our patients. During this unprecedented time, we are following the current infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

We want to tell you about some safety measures we have taken in our practice to keep our patients and staff safe and healthy as we have reopened our doors:

Anyone entering the office MUST wear a mask or face covering.
All patient’s temperatures are taken upon arrival, and we are asking for a brief COVID-19 health questionnaire to be filled out. We have reserved a special portion of the reception area for this.
Acrylic barriers have been installed at our front desk area.
Our tooth brushing station has been converted to a hand washing station, and all patients are asked to wash their hands when they enter the office. Hand sanitizer is also available throughout the office.
Only patients are allowed in the reception area, with the exception of those who require a guardian or caregiver to be present. ONE adult, if necessary, may accompany minors, but we prefer that parents wait in the car for routine visits.
Our plaza’s alleyway “drive thru” lane adjacent to our office is available for safe and convenient patient drop off and pick up.
Outdoor hallway seating is available for anyone wishing to wait for their appointment or their child’s appointment.
Seating arrangements have been altered in the reception area to allow for proper social distancing.
We have removed our coffee station, magazines, books and toys in the reception area to eliminate additional areas of potential cross contamination.
Appointments scheduling is being managed to allow for greater time between patients and subsequently a reduced number of patients in the office at any one time.
We have installed UV lights in the office A/C units.
We have also purchased additional personal protective equipment (PPE) for our staff for use while treating patients.

We look forward to seeing all of our patients and friends again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we are taking to keep every person safe in our practice. We are also currently accepting new patient appointments. For questions or to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 305-423-4130. Additionally, follow us on social media for additional updates and information
(IG @pinecrestortho or FB @pinecrestorthodontics).

We hope everyone remains safe and in good health as we surpass this extraordinary time together.

(Visited 8 times, 1 visits today)