COVID-19 Update:

We are now open!

We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome you back to our practice!

After a lot of preparation, Drs. Abe and Abenaa will see patients for routine treatment  starting May 26, 2020. Our office has always utilized personal protective equipment (PPE) that has exceeded all the CDC and Alberta Dental Association guidelines; however, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have instituted additional guidelines and protocols to ensure your safety. We have taken time to ensure that we have all the necessary equipment to keep you, your families, and our team protected and safe.

We have a long list of people who have had appointments cancelled during our closure; rest assured our admin team will be in touch to reschedule you. If you do not feel comfortable coming in at this time, please let us know so that we can reschedule or postpone your appointment and make room for others waiting.

Below is a list of some of the enhanced precautions we have taken to protect you, in addition to extensive team training on infection control and patient management procedures.

 

1. You will be contacted 48-72 hours prior to your appointment via phone, text or email and asked a set of health-related questions. It is required that we complete this questionnaire prior to your appointment. We will have to reschedule your appointment if we are unable to complete this step.

2. In order to minimize time spent in our reception area, we will also update any changes in contact information, address, insurance information and medical/dental history at this time.

3. We will send you a COVID-19 consent form to sign and bring with you to your appointment.

4. When you arrive for your appointment, please call our office and wait in your car. We will call or text you when we are ready for you to come in.

5. We encourage you to wear a mask to your appointment.

6. Please clean your hands with the hand sanitizer provided on entry into our clinic and before you leave. Hand sanitizers have been positioned throughout the clinic.

7. We kindly request that patients come to their appointment alone, with the exception of essential caregivers and parents. We encourage essential caregivers to wait outside after accompanying the patient into the clinic. If that is not possible, please maintain distancing.  If that is not possible, please maintain distancing in our reception area.

8. We have removed magazines and other items that can harbour or transfer germs of any kind from our waiting room and treatment rooms.

9. We will be recording every patient’s temperature upon entering the office, along with completing the consent form if you have not already done so.

10. Sneeze guards or droplet barriers are being installed in the reception area, to assist in maintaining social distancing.

11.  We have introduced a 1% peroxide oral pre-treatment rinse for all patients to reduce aerosol contamination.

12. We require all team members to have their temperature taken prior to beginning the work day, as well as sign their own consent form.

13. Payment arrangements can be made in advance to avoid delay and allow contactless exit from the appointment.

14. Appointments must be managed to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. This may mean fewer options for scheduling.

15. You may notice air filtration units in the treatment rooms and common areas to help clean and remove germs from circulating air.

16. You will notice our clinical team wearing a lot more personal protective equipment (PPE)! We must wear masks, and face shields/gowns during treatment. Rest assured, we are smiling underneath it all!

We are looking forward to seeing you and assisting you with your oral health needs!

-The team at Somerset Dental on James