How we are responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

At our practice, the safety of our patients as well as our staff members is of the utmost importance.  We have implemented some changes to our office's standard operating procedures in order to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. In addition to our already stringent sterilization protocols that we have been performing for years, we are also implementing the following:

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• Limiting patient-patient contact - All magazines have been removed from our waiting room which is now effectively closed. We may ask for you to wait in your vehicle if the previous patient is still present or are still completing our disinfection protocols. We also ask that you come into the office alone and any company wait outside the office unless they are needed. This allows us to prevent patients from coming in contact with other patients while in our office. It also allows us to usher patients directly into treatment rooms to limit their contact with any office surfaces.

• Extending appointment times - We have extended all appointment times. This unfortunately means that less appointments are available per day but we will do our best to accommodate our patients as necessary.

• Air purification - Each operatory has been outfitted with Airpura P614 air purifiers.  These Super HEPA filters are used to combat airborne aerosols and particulates that are inevitably produced during dental procedures.  Th units also incorporate UV-C technology to destroy micro-organisms including bacteria and viruses. We allow the air purifier to work at least 20 minutes between patients. This allows for over 15 air changes between patients. The office common areas are also filtered with True HEPA air filters.

• Disinfection/sterilization - Our office has always prided itself in its sterilization protocols.  All instruments are sterilized in steam autoclaves that are tested for efficacy weekly by third party labs with spore test strips. All surfaces are wiped down with single-use medical-grade Metrex Cavicide wipes.  Additionally, each operatory is fogged with 200ppm Hypochlorous acid (electrolyzed water).  Hypochlorous acid has been used extensively in the food industry as well as for wound cleaning in the medical industry and demonstrates strong efficacy in destroying viral particles - tests show between 80x-120x more effective than bleach. It is generated in the office daily and concentrations are regularly tested to ensure efficacy. Fogging in combination with air purification allows us to maintain high indoor air quality to maintain your safety. Restrooms are fogged after each use and the entire office is treated at the end of day.