Safety Measures

Dearest Patients, Family and Friends,

We truly hope that you are all well at this difficult time for all of us!

First and foremost, we want you to know that our highest responsibility as healthcare professionals is to ensure the complete health and safety of all of our patients and team. This has always been, and will always be, our highest priority. From the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, (and due to the fact that we may be dealing with this to some degree into the future), we have further bolstered our previously implemented Universal Precautions and infection control protocols to an even more advanced, enhanced and protective regimen to optimize everyone's total health.

As members of our local community, we care deeply about the health and the well-being of our patients, families and our team. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) presents a unique set of challenges for us all, but especially as Dental Health care providers, which must be addressed. We wanted to let you know about all of the additional safety and protective measures we are taking on your behalf, to help reduce risk of any disease transmission and ensure that all our patients, and team, remain safe and well.

As we always seek to ensure that we are exceeding the State, CDC, and OSHA recommendations for infection control, we recognize that some of these precautions may cause some slight inconvenience; but please rest assured that everything we are doing is simply because we are taking everyone's health so seriously.

The changes below will be effective in our office this week as we reopen and will continue unless/until any modifications are deemed necessary, at which point they will be made.

If you, anyone in your family, or your household are sick, please let us know immediately, and allow us to reschedule your appointment for when you are well, and please DO NOT come to the office for any type of appointment.

Here are the measures we are implementing above and beyond what we would normally be doing for your health, safety and peace of mind:

• Only patients with an appointment (and if necessary, in the case of minors, or elders, one accompanying guardian/caretaker) may enter the office; we will text you when we are ready for you to come in, and we must maintain appropriate social distancing in the office whenever possible.
• We will be doing a brief updated medical, social and travel history for each patient before every appointment.
• We will be taking a hospital grade, no contact temperature reading, easy finger read O2 saturation level, having each patient wash and/ or sanitize their hands, and rinse their mouth with hydrogen peroxide or betadine solution (to kill any potential virus) before being brought back to the treatment room.
• We are installing several of the finest caliber and quality UV light sterilizers, and eight HYPERHEPA filter Air Purification Systems of the highest medical grade hospital standards and technology, throughout every area of our office. These eight systems will be capable of filtering even the smallest viral particle size completely out of the air we breathe every 30 minutes, from over 5700 sq/ft of space, providing total air recirculation and purification certainly well within any one individual’s appointment time. Since our total office size is only 1300 sq./ft, we actually have enough filtration capacity to purify the air more than 4-times over! We have also completely revamped our HVAC system and it is now fitted with the highest level hospital grade filtration devices, so that even all the air being pumped into the office is coming in completely clean and pure, free of any potential impurities or harmful pathogens.
• We will have hand sanitizer and masks available throughout the office, for any time you are not undergoing treatment.
• We are staggering patient appointment times as well as having a one-way traffic pattern through the office, as well as a simplified and expedited check-in/check-out procedure.
• In addition, all of our team members will be tested and free of Covid-19 infection, (and we will have these tests available for patients, as well) and wearing the complete and appropriate PPE (Protective Personal Equipment) including: proper masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, etc., for the tasks, procedures and care they will be providing for you.
• For patients, we will be using a rubber dam (a sterile barrier separating your teeth from the rest of your mouth) whenever possible, complete eye protection, as well as appropriately placed high speed evacuation systems (suction).

Our Environmental Cleaning & Disinfection Policies and Procedures have not changed due to the Coronavirus. We have always used CDC and OSHA-mandated cleaning and disinfection protocols for all surfaces in our office and treatment rooms. We use a bactericidal, viricidal, fungicidal and tuberculocidal disinfectant recommended for dental operatories, and for all equipment, and these will be used in between every patient on all potentiality touched surfaces.

Our Universal Precaution policies and procedures also have not changed, as we continue to use Ultrasonic cleaning and heat/ pressure autoclave sterilization of all non-disposable instruments.

We will be opening up to our complete and normal 7- day a week working schedule on Monday, May 4th to be available to all patients who need us. As always we have convenient hours before and after work to accommodate all of our working patients and students, to ensure that you don’t have to miss valuable time away from work or school.

As we reach out to our currently scheduled patients, those who missed their appointments during our mandatory hiatus, those who may have had incomplete emergency care while we were closed, and those with over-due treatment, we will always do our best to respect your desire and willingness to return for treatment, and accommodate everyone with our earliest available appointment.

You may be contacted by us through different means (personal call, email, and/or text) over the next several days and weeks as we try to re-schedule previously postponed appointments and over-due treatment. Please excuse any duplication of contact that might inadvertently occur.

Again, we will always respect your desires for treatment and will be here and available whenever you need us.

We want to thank you for your understanding and continued support during this unprecedented time in all of our lives. Should you have any questions or concerns with regard to anything above or any other questions at all, please do not hesitate to call our office at 561-487-4440 any time, and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

As always, we truly appreciate and thank you for your continued trust, support and understanding and look forward to caring for you and your family’s overall and dental health, safely and comfortably for many years to come.

To your best health!

The Doctors and Team at Dental Care of Boca Raton