Advanced Safety Protocol – Silver Spring, MD
Protecting Our Precious Patients
We welcome back our “dental family” and hope that you and your family are good health. Although many things have changed, our continual efforts to your safety have remained the same as always. Infection control and minimizing everyone’s risk to infectious diseases have always been a priority.
After a few months of treating only dental emergencies, on May 7 the Maryland Department of Health permitted the reopening of all dental offices to provide non-emergency, elective procedures. Our office elected to delay opening until May 27 until we were satisfied that all federal and state guidelines for dental practices were met. We have implemented numerous changes and additions to accommodate these new guidelines which include safety measures for both patients and staff. The following is a brief list of some of these actions:
Patient Considerations
- Removal of shared reading materials from the office.
- Face coverings are always required.
- Forms and financial arrangements can be completed online prior to your appointment. This will minimize time in the office, conserve resources and be more convenient as well.
Facility Considerations
- A variety of physical barriers and visual alerts have been positioned throughout the office.
- Regularly scheduled professional disinfections are scheduled for the entire office.
- Although public bathrooms are available, we advise you to use the bathroom at home prior to your appointment.
Equipment Considerations
- Routinely test water quality and sterilizers for effectiveness.
- Disinfect equipment and operatories beyond routine standard protocols.
Engineering Controls
- HEPA air filtration / maintenance of constant air flow throughout the office.
- Use of HEPA vacuum cleaners.
Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Staff is equipped with appropriate PPE in accordance with OSHA.
We continue to monitor and update any procedures and guidelines in order to provide for the fullest measure of our patients and staff’s safety. We look forward to serving you once again.