Coronavirus Update Letter
Dear valued patients,
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.
The Nevada Board of Dental Examiners along with the Department of Health and Human Services has allowed dental offices to resume most dental practices with a few limitations and new guidelines effective May 4, 2020.
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’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. We hand sterilize our treatment rooms after every patient by using disinfectants effective against bacteria, viruses and blood borne pathogens. We have introduced a UV/Ozone air filtration system in each treatment room effective in circulating and disinfecting the air. In addition we have added aerosol reduction units in every treatment room to help minimize aerosol spreading bacteria. Our instrument sterilizing units are monitored weekly by an outside agency to ensure their continued effectiveness. Our office goals are not only to meet the required infection control standards but to exceed them.
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:
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
- New patient forms or forms requiring updating will be emailed to you directly (reducing your time in the dental office).
- You may be asked to wait in your car and either text or call to let us know you have arrived.
- Your temperature will be taken prior to entering the office.
- When all the necessary forms are completed, you will be asked to wash your hands and rinse your mouth with an antibacterial rinse.
- You will then be seated in a patient room.
- You will find hand sanitizers through out the office for you to use as needed.
- You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and our Coffee Bar will no longer be available 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’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- 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 dental office at any one time.
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, please call our office at 702-212-6641.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
The Densley Dental Team