**IMPORTANT CALIFORNIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION UPDATE, AS OF JUNE 1, 2020.**

We have missed our  patients very much during the mandated stay-at-home period and we are excited to see everyone again as we have been given the “yellow light” to treat patients.  We have begun to see limited patients and slowly transition over the next several weeks. We will be prioritizing our treatment appointments the first few weeks for delayed care or emergent dental needs and integrating  preventative services as well. Please be patient with us as we take care of the most urgent cases first.  We are limiting the number of patients we are scheduling and staggering appointments so we can carry out extra sanitation measures and maintain social distancing.

Appointments will also be based on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Although our office has always practiced universal precautions, which prevents transmission of diseases within the dental office, we have made additional changes for the safety and well-being of everyone. Our decisions are based on guidelines from our local Health Dept, the Ca. Dept of Public Health, CDC, Cal-OSHA and the ADA. We appreciate your support as we transition into this “new normal”.

  1. Patients and family members will be screened using our Wellness Screening Form for COVID -related symptoms.  If any household members may be suspect for illness, we will ask you to reschedule your appointment for the safety of staff and other patients in the office.  All staff are screened on a daily basis and that includes temperature checks.
  2. At check-in, we ask that everyone sanitize their hands, wear a mask for the duration of the visit, and have their temperature taken with a “no-touch” thermometer
  3. All difficult to sanitize items like toys, magazines, snacks, and brochures have been removed.
  4. Air filters have been placed throughout the office to help reduce bacteria, viral, and allergen aerosols. Unlike household filters, IQAir is able to filter out particles smaller than a virus
  5. You may notice that staff are wearing additional protective equipment including face shields, clinical gowns, and a hair protection cap.
  6. We have also added vinyl doors to each treatment room to maintain aerosols during procedures.
  7. At the end of the day we are using a hospital grade disinfectant to thoroughly sanitize the entire office.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to ensure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.

You may see and experience some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.

For example:

  • Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.​
  • Your temperature will be taken (using a touchless thermometer) when you arrive at the office in order to ensure that nothing has changed since our phone conversation. ​
  • You may be asked to wait in your car or in the downstairs atrium prior to your appointment. We will then call or text you to come up to the office. ​
  • We ask that you and your companions bring and wear a face-covering or mask before entering the office. This does not apply to children under the age of 2 or to people who are unable to wear a mask or face-covering due to a medical condition. ​
  • We ask that you limit companions on your visit to the office to only essential people. This will reduce the number of people in the reception area, and adhere to social distancing requirements.
  • We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
  • Magazines and children’s toys have been removed from the office to minimize opportunities to spread infection.
  • Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
  • Your communication is most important during this time. We are still asking if you need to make any changes to your scheduled appointment, you do so a minimum of 48 business hours prior. Thank you for understanding as it involves scheduling staff.

We look forward to seeing you again and happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment or if we can answer any questions please call 714-439-9800.

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

Your dental family at Briana Chavez DDS