The past few months have been a challenging time for everyone. As stay at home restrictions ease, and dental practices reopen fully, patients will soon start filtering back into the office. You want patients to come back and have a good experience, while at the same time making sure they know all the ways we work to keep them safe.
From the office of Dr. Eliot Heisler and the staff at Elite Dental Spa, here are the precautions we are taking in our dental office due to Covid-19 that can benefit any dental practice:
- Things will look a little different from a patient’s perspective even before they come into the office. Communicating with your patients about the reason for the changes ensures a good and safe transition into our new normal.
- How this information is communicated to the patient will go a long way in reassuring them that their safety is the number one priority in the practice, giving them ease and peace of mind as they start coming back.
- Temperature checks upon a patient entering the office, as well as on staff before they start their day.
- Requiring patients to use a mask before they come into the office.
- Appointments are made in a way to allow social distancing guidelines. From changing the number of appointments or the time between appointments to ensure that there aren’t a lot of people in the office
- Having the patient wait in the car while the current appointment is complete, reducing the number of people who are in the office.
- Allow for enough time between patients to ensure proper cleaning and sterilization. In our office, we have a strict regimen of cleaning, sanitizing, and sterilizing in between patients from the waiting room area, exam room, and equipment shared between patients.
- Making sure that the dentist and staff have the proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Multiple HEPA filters continually running throughout the office.
The new normal may look a bit different, but the important thing is that the patient knows that we value their health and well-being. If patients know that you are doing everything in your power to help them, they are more likely to trust you and to return for much-needed care. Oral health is always a priority; we can't let patients forget about the importance of maintaining great oral health as part of their overall well-being.