COVID-19 FAQS: How We’re Keeping You Safe During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic may now be part of our reality in 2020, but it doesn’t have to stop you from getting the dental care you need.
Since the moment our office reopened, the team at Cassell Dentistry in San Diego, California has gone above and beyond to ensure patient safety through every step of the dentist visit process. From the moment you walk in the doors until the time you return to your car, you can trust that Dr. Jon Cassell delivers superior dental care while making your safety his top priority.
If you’re not sure exactly what to expect at your next dentist visit, that’s okay. These COVID-19 FAQs will help to set your mind at ease and understand exactly how Cassell Dentistry is implementing extra precautions to protect your health and safety.
COVID-19 FAQs: How Are Dental Patients Screened?
To align with CDC recommendations, our office now screens all patients for fever and potential symptoms of COVID-19. This begins over the phone when you make your appointment or the day before your appointment is scheduled. We may ask you certain questions, such as whether you’ve traveled recently or come in close contact with someone suspected of having COVID-19.
When you arrive at your office for your visit, we’ll also perform a quick temperature check. Next, we’ll document symptoms or absence of symptoms consistent with coronavirus. This screening process is quick and simple, but it goes a long way in making sure patients and healthcare workers are not exposed to COVID-19 or put at risk of its transmission.
Is Social Distancing Enforced?
This is one of the most common COVID-19 FAQs we discuss. The answer is, absolutely. Social distancing is now a core component of the Cassell Dentistry environment. We use strategic preventative measures to keep all patients safely distanced.
To begin, we invite patients to wait outside or in their cars until their appointments begin. We also offer an adjusted waiting area to accommodate a social distancing environment:
- Chairs set six feet apart
- No magazines and other frequently touched objects
- Maximum number of people permitted inside at the same time
- Staggered appointment times to minimize indoor traffic
We are so thankful for our wonderful, compassionate patients who have gone out of their way to help our office implement these social distancing precautions successfully! We couldn’t do it without your help.
How Does Your Office Use PPE?
The diligent team at Cassell Dentistry takes great care in every safety detail. First, we use all recommended and required personal protective equipment (PPE), including:
- Goggles or face shields
- Gloves
- Face mask
- Gowns
- N9 respirators
Even with extreme PPE precautions, our staff members ensure strict adherence to hand hygiene before and after all patient contact. Thorough hand washing removes pathogens that might have been transferred to bare hands and prevents those pathogens from traveling any further.
How Does Your Office Keep the Air and Environment Sterile?
Let’s dig into these COVID-19 FAQs. Dr. Cassell is proud to announce that his office has addressed the COVID-19 crisis by making significant investments in advanced air filtration and air fogger systems.
High-quality air filtration is recommended by the ADA, CDC, OSHA, and every other major organized body responsible for guiding dental offices through the coronavirus pandemic. Here at Cassell Dentistry, we take those recommendations to heart. In fact, we updated our air filtration system to be the best of the best.
Our advanced dental air purifiers capture even the smallest particles like drill aerosols, abrasion powders, vapors, and contaminants. All air flows through the air filters, trapping harmful particles and viruses
Air fogging, meanwhile, is the same technique major airlines use to disinfect their planes before travel. An electrically-charged and safe-to-breath disinfectant is sprayed on all interior surfaces during the cleaning process to completely eradicate viruses and bacteria.
Cassell Dentistry uses this technology on a daily basis to make it impossible for COVID-19 and other infections to spread. What could possibly help you feel safer than a disinfectant that’s 100 times stronger than bleach yet completely non-toxic to patients and staff?
Best of all, implementing strict and precise infection control techniques has always been a core priority for Dr. Cassell and his team. We know exactly how to do it, and we do it every single day, regardless of the threat of a pandemic! As California Dental Association President Richard Nagy points out, “Dentists are really great at infection control and being prepared to create safety. That’s what we’re good at, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Can I Still Have My Normal Procedures Completed?
The answer to this question is dependent upon the status of the coronavirus in California and across the nation. At the moment, with COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in many states, we still may need to limit certain types of appointments and procedures.
This applies mainly to treatments involving dental drills and other tools that could create aerosols that potentially spread the coronavirus. Our goal is to limit the risk of aerosolizing the virus. As the guidelines provided by the CDC and ADA evolve, our office will also adjust our methods.
What If I Have Other COVID-19 FAQs?
It’s hard to predict when this pandemic will come to an end, but Dr. Cassell can promise one thing: patient safety is always his top priority. You can schedule a dentist appointment with the comfort and knowledge that Cassell Dentistry is taking every possible precaution to guarantee a safe and risk-free dental experience.
We are here to answer all of your questions and help you schedule your next appointment! To ask additional COVID-19 FAQs, don’t hesitate to call our San Diego office.