DR. PRESLEY-NELSON’S DENTAL OFFICE RE-OPENING
We hope this letter finds you and your family well; we have missed you. We are re-opening after the Coronavirus restrictions, and while many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our office’s commitment to your safety.
Infection control has always been a top priority in our practice. We follow recommendations and guidelines made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This allows us to make sure that our infection control procedures are up-to-date and enables us to provide the safest environment for our staff, patients and their family members. We also have our state and local health department recommendations to consider. For more information, check the SFDPH website.
We will do our best to accommodate your scheduling needs as we know many of you are anxious to get back into our dental office. We have implemented additional safety precautions to help protect our patients and staff.
If you have serious and debilitating pre-existing health conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes, chronic lung disease or severe asthma, serious heart conditions, are immunocompromised, or have chronic kidney or liver disease, we recommend you do not visit the office at this time, unless you have a dental emergency. One of the doctors will screen you on the phone before such an emergency visit. For the majority of our patients, who do not fall in this extreme health risk category, we welcome you back, with the following recommended protocols:
APPOINTMENT PROTOCOLS
-- Upon scheduling an appointment, and again upon arrival at our office, we will ask you some screening questions. We will postpone treatment for any patient who has experienced or been in contact with someone who has experienced the following symptoms within 14 days of the scheduled appointment date: fever, cough, loss of taste and/or smell, flu-like symptoms, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, and fatigue.
-- We will be, as much as possible, scheduling appointments in a manner that promotes social distancing. We ask that you sit apart in the waiting room. We ask that patients enter the office unaccompanied, if possible. For those patients who need to be accompanied, we ask that this be limited to a single family member. Please call once you get parked, to see if we are ready for you. Please arrive wearing a face covering and use the hand sanitizer on the front desk.
-- Please take your temperature at home on the morning of your appointment. We will confirm “no fever” with a contactless thermometer upon your arrival. Our doctors and staff are screening themselves daily also, and practicing social distancing when off duty.
CHANGES TO ENSURE SAFETY
-- Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, books, children’s toys, and so forth, since these items are difficult to clean and disinfect. A clear plastic screen (sneeze guard) has been installed at the front desk to minimize exposure to airborne pathogens. You may wait a little longer, as we are taking more time to disinfect all areas of use in between patient appointments.
-- Medical-grade high efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) air purifiers have been installed in the office to help improve the air quality in the area for all patients, family members, and staff. There are now 5 HEPA filters and one large Molekule Peco Filter machine (UV light to kill viruses) and all will be “on high”. These change the air out 5 times an hour and produce a noise level in the office you may not be used to.
-- Our doctors and staff will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). When you are seated in the dental chair, you will be asked to gargle with a special rinse. A new intra-oral suction shield has been installed in each operatory, and similar to a rubber dam, it stops aerosol in the mouth. It is comfortable to wear, but noisy, as is the second high speed evacuation tube that has been installed in each operatory. The use of our headphones and audio entertainment masks the noise and makes the dental visit more enjoyable.
Thank you for being part of our dental family. You can see that we are doing all that we can to serve your dental needs in as safe a manner as possible. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends.
Dr. Beverly Presley-Nelson, Dr. Fung and Staff
