Covid-19 Safety

SafeDentistDuringCovid

We hope you are all staying healthy and safe in these times. As you know, the health of our patients is always our number one priority and we are continuing to stay ahead of all of the extra protocols to ensure all of us stay safe. 

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Dental Division of the California Department of Public Health, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to help protect every one of our patients and team members from infectious diseases. Based on those recommendations we have instituted new safety protocols, beginning with the moment your appointment is scheduled. 

  • When your appointment is scheduled, our staff will ask you a series of screening questions. You will be asked these questions again when you confirm your appointment the day before.  If you or anyone in your family has been experiencing any symptoms, we will reschedule your appointment for 3 weeks later. 
  • Every team member will answer the health questionnaire that our patients are required to answer, and will do so every day. If any questions disqualify the team member, they will be sent home following the same procedures we are asking our patients to follow.
  • When you arrive for your appointment, please stay in your car, call our office, 831-424-0881 and a staff member  will come to the car to go over an informed consent form, a simple questionnaire indicating recent contacts, travel, and well-being. The staff member will also take your temperature with a touchless thermometer. Anyone with a reading over 99.9 degrees will be asked to reschedule at least three weeks later as a precaution. Please note that all staff will be subject to the same protocols. Please arrive on time so this process is efficient.
  • When your hygienist or dentist is ready, a front office staff member will alert you with a phone call and you can come in for your appointment.
  • Only those patients with an appointment will be allowed in the operatory. Family members will be asked to outside the office. The only exception to this will be for very young patients, who may have only one parent/caregiver accompany them.
  • All patients and staff over 2 years old are required to wear a mask at all times when they are not having active treatment.
  • Please maintain a 6-foot social distance when in the office until seated in the treatment chair.
  • In addition to sanitizing each operatory completely after each patient with a medical-grade surface disinfectant that kills all known infectious diseases, including coronavirus, we sanitize all doorknobs, handles, appliances, and surfaces after each use.
  • We have put into place additional air filtration, vacuum and ventilation strategies.
  • We wear single-use gloves and and either high level surgical masks or approved respirator masks while treating patients.
  • We wear full length sleeves and launder all of our uniforms on site.
  • We place instruments after each use into an autoclave (a high-pressure steam oven) to kill every known infectious organism, including coronavirus.
  • We wash our hands thoroughly between each patient.
  • Please bring your own pen for payment.
  • We have installed plexiglass shields in front of the front desk check in area to protect staff and patients.

The time will hopefully come (sooner rather than later!) when we can relax some of these measures, but for now, we must all do everything we can until vaccination and better treatments are available. Thank you for doing your part!

We are so grateful for every one of our patients; this time away has only served to make us even more thankful for each of you. You are the life-force of our practice and this is why we are taking your safety very seriously.  We ask for your patience and understanding while we focus on getting your treatment back on track and moving forward.

Sincerely,

All of us at Salinas Dental Health