Dear patient,
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 routines. While many things have changed, 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 visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. These have been put in place because we can all be carriers without symptoms, and so I ask you as your read this that you are not offended by extra masks, shields or taking your temperature. We are all in this together.
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. So, you will see our staff with extra protective equipment including gowns, gloves, and shields.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. We ask you to be patient and considerate with these changes.
- We ask you to kindly call us when you arrive to our office from your car to see if we are ready to see you. Please do not come into the office unless the staff confirms this with youà We are limiting the office to two patients and must disinfect rooms thoroughly before another patient comes in. Unfortunately, your significant others/escorts cannot wait in the waiting room but could assist you if you need help walking.
- We kindly ask you also to not come in without wearing a mask. We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office.
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again when you are in the office, and your temperature will also be taken and then you will be taken to the treatment room assigned to you.
- Consents for treatment will be done using Docusign electronically for any surgical treatment. New patients will be asked to register online as usual, but HIPPA forms and Financial agreement forms will be sent also using Docusign. Discussion of your treatment plan and estimated insurance will be done in the waiting room with glass partition separation. Payments will be done over the phone (preferred) or directly using the credit card machine in the office.
- Our doctors and assistants will be wearing different kinds of face shields depending on the procedure (disposable shields, large plastic shields, and even full-face mask shield)
- You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, coffee or water since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time (maximum of one waiting).
What are we doing differently than before inside our office for your protection? Important to read
Our office has and will always continue to do traditional infection control, but in addition
- We are now using UV cabinets to sterilize some protective equipment, and UV has been installed in our HVAC
- We have installed high end air purifiers in each treatment room so the office may feel colder than usual due to air coming out of these cleaning devices **
- We will use specialized dental suction units next to the patients to help reduce aerosols from using a dental handpiece (Only certain procedures need this) **
- We are alternating treatment rooms after surgeries allowing 1.5 hours between using rooms and soon High Output Medical grade ceiling mounted UV lights will be used to sterilize the rooms like some surgical rooms are cleaned in hospitals. (Still being evaluated) **
** None of the items listed above have been mandated on us by any agency but we have taken extra steps for your and our safety
We 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 starting June 1st, please call our Newtown office at 215 968 9601 and Chadds Ford at 610 500 0610 or visit our website at TreatMyGums.com and click on the COVID Protocol tab for further information.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends.
Sincerely,
Sam B. Khoury-Owner
Dental Implant & Periodontal Surgeons
Newtown, Chadds Ford PA