COVID-19
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
Chin Up and Smile Dentistry has always been on the front lines of preventing the spread of diseases.
Rest assured that we have always been strict on universal precautions that have included the use of masks, glasses, gloves, sterile instruments and devices as well as clean and disinfected environmental surfaces. From treatment and waiting room disinfection to the strict use of personal protective equipment (PPE), the safety of our patients and staff members continues to be of utmost importance.
Physical changes we have made to meet and/or exceed guidelines include:
· Masks -- All clinical team members will be wearing masks. The Ministry of Health has recommended that masks be worn indoors. It is your choice to wear one to the office. We can provide you with a disposable mask if you request.
· Gowns – For procedures that make an aerosol we will be wearing isolation gowns to ensure no cross contamination
· Closed in operatories – We are no longer required to have closed in our operatories to create isolated treatment rooms.
· Air filtration – We have purchased HEPA air filtration units for our operatories. We have had an HVAC engineering analysis completed on our operatories.
· Time between appointments – A concept mentioned in our guidelines is fallow time and the need to ensure that any virus if present in the air has a chance to settle before we sterilize the room. This is no longer a requirement from Public Health.
· Enhanced cleaning of high touch areas –Additionally, frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, chairs, desks, debit machine, and bathrooms are cleaned and disinfected often.
Policies and protocols we have enacted to ensure that we meet and/or exceed guidelines include:
· Staff screening – Every day every team member is screened prior to entering the office
· Pre-Screening of patients – Every patient will be required to be pre-screened 24-72 hours prior to their appointment. We can do it verbally by phone when you receive your courtesy reminder call or when you call into the office to book an appointment.
· Masks – Patients will be recommended to wear their own masks into our office. If you do not have one, one can be provided for you.
· On time – Please be exactly on time for your appointment. We have been working our best to ensure that we can maintain the exact schedule. Seating in the waiting room is now limited and only to be used on an as needed basis.
· Before entering the office:
o Read the signs on the door
o Make sure that no other patient is at the screening table set up beside the front desk
· When entering the office – All patients and caregivers will be:
o Asked to sanitize their hands with sanitizer that is found in the reception. There are several other places in the office with hand sanitizer for your use as needed. If you do not know where to locate a bottle, please ask one of the team members.
o Have their temperature taken
o Asked screening questions
o You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
o Clear barrier partitions will also be present at the reception desk area
In the operatory:
· You will then be taken to your operatory where you will be asked to rinse with an anti-viral rinse for 30 seconds.
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 safe in our practice. We remain committed partners in your oral health and recognize that you may need dental care that has been delayed because of the province-wide shutdown. To make an appointment, please email us at drsmile@chinupandsmile.com or call us at (905) 823-9555.
Rest assured that Chin Up and Smile Dentistry will be strictly following any Public Health recommended precautions to treat all our patients safely.
We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming you back in the near future.
Sincerely,
Dr. Andrea Carvalho and Team Chin Up and Smile