Providing Care with Confidence and Comfort
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. We are happy to announce that as of June 1st, our office is open. 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 our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable.
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 agency’s recommendations.
In addition to these recommendations, we have replaced the fabric upholstered chairs in the reception area with fewer chairs upholstered with antimicrobial vinyl. Each operatory is equipped with UVC sterilization and medical grade purifiers. A medical grade purifier will also be in the reception area.
There have also been changes in protocol:
- 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.
- You will be expected to wear a mask and use the hand sanitizer located at the front desk when you come into the office.
- The reception area will be limited to three people at a time. Please arrive alone unless necessary. If you arrive early for your appointment and cannot be seated, you may be asked to wait outside if there are three people already waiting to be seen. We will call or text you when we are ready to treat you.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting time, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
- Once in the operatory, each patient will be screened with a non-contact infrared thermometer and pulse oximeter (our doctors and team will also be screened daily). We will also ask you to rinse with 1.5% solution of hydrogen peroxide prior to treatment. Although the team has remained healthy and asymptomatic, they have been tested multiple times for antibodies and COVID-19 to assess their exposure, and I am pleased to be able to report all have tested negative.
- Please be advised due to the extra PPE worn by the team, the temperature in the office will be cooler than usual.
As you may be aware, we take the health and wellbeing of our patients very seriously. We were one of the first offices to close during the pandemic (in fact, more than a week before Governor Cuomo issued the mandate). During that period, we have treated several emergencies but now look forward to providing all of you with routine care at an even higher standard.
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 212-697-5988 or visit our website at www.80parkavenuedental.com to request an appointment.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.