It’s still safe to go to the dentist!
ATTENTION all Holton Dental Patients! We are open and look forward to seeing you!
While many things have changed since the start of this pandemic, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice, and you may have seen this during your previous visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows 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 follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
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Our office will communicate with you beforehand via phone to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. We will also go over any changes in medical history over the phone to minimize time in the chair when you arrive.
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Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
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We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the office at any one time.
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We ask that when you arrive for your appointment, you remain in your car until our office calls you to let you know you may enter for your appointment.
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Your temperature will be checked and you will be screened at the door by Holton Community Hospital staff as you enter the building.
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We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed. We encourage that patients wear a mask when entering the office for your appointment, but it is not required.
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We have placed air purifiers in every treatment room and throughout the office to filter circulating air.
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You may see that our office will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
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You will notice a change in the personal protective equipment (PPE) that our treatment providers are wearing (gowns, masks, faceshields) to protect not only our staff, but our patients as well.
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Because of the increase in PPE that our staff will be wearing, please be aware that our office temperature may be cooler than you would expect, and we encourage you to bring extra layers if you are concerned with feeling cold during your appointment.
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We will ask that only the patient receiving dental care enter the treatment rooms, with the exception of minors or those patients that have special needs or require a caregiver, in which case, they will be allowed to have one parent/caregiver accompany them to their appointment. Siblings or other family members will not be allowed into the treatment room unless they have an appointment concurrently scheduled. Please understand that this is intended to limit exposure to only those who are deemed essential to the appointment.
We know that change is challenging, but genuinely look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 785-364-3038.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
Dr. Alex, Dr. Samantha, and your Holton Dental Family
Other Resources:
(Oct 15 2020)
Article: “ADA study finds COVID-19 rate among dentists less than 1%”
(Sept 18 2020)
Article: “Yes, it’s safe to go to the Dentist”
https://www.insider.com/its-safe-to-go-the-dentist-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-9