Dear AOS Family,

WE ARE OPEN!

We hope this communication 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 much has changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

The current guidelines we follow for the use of PPE are to prevent the spread of blood-borne illnesses. As COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, additional precautions will need to be taken. The primary concern in any dental setting is the production of aerosols as they are a known transmission mechanism for COVID-19. We have added protocols to limit the production of aerosols as much as possible. You will notice changes in the office setting and patient care procedures. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.

Please take a moment to watch the video below on new office protocols and procedures.

COMMUNICATION AND APPOINTMENT PROTOCOLS

  • Our office will communicate via phone call with you before your appointment to ask screening questions. You will be asked the same questions again when you arrive for your appointment. We will also remind
    you of the protocols listed here that you will be asked to follow when you arrive for your appointment.
  • Adults: Please come alone (unless assistance is needed). If over the age of 65 or in an at-risk group, please consult your physician prior to your appointment.
  • Minors: Parents/guardians may accompany children to the office for check in, however will be asked to wait in the building common area or car. We will text parent/guardian when the appointment is complete.
  • All Patients:
    • If you are ill, running a fever or have been exposed to COVID-19, please call to reschedule your appointment
    • Please note for those who have existing appointments, your appointment time may have changed due to social distancing requirements. Please review your appointment reminder!
    • Appointments will be managed based on procedure types and clinical distancing between patients. This may mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
    • Please arrive to your appointment wearing your mask.
    • Please brush and floss thoroughly prior to your appointment as the tooth brushing areas will not be available to prevent cross contamination between patient use.
    • Arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment to allow time for pre-screening.
    • You will be asked pre-screening questions and your temperature will be taken with an infrared thermometer.
    • If you have documents to be signed or need to make a payment, we are happy to provide you with a disinfected pen. You may bring you own, if you prefer.
    • All patients will be required to rinse with Peroxyl for 60 seconds to reduce the salivary load of oral microbes at the start of the appointment.

WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING?

  • We are installing an air purification system in our offices.
  • We have provided our staff with all required, high quality PPE.
  • Temporary partitions are being installed to divide the offices into zones to reduce aerosol spread.
  • We are installing high velocity local evacuation systems to capture aerosols at their source.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we employ these enhanced measures to provide care in a safe environment. We look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Yours in good health,
The AOS Team