June 1, 2020 COVID-19 update
So far, 2020 has been an interesting year to say the least.
As summer begins and society is, hopefully, beginning to learn how to function in the continued presence of COVID-19, we are all doing our best to get back to living our lives. That includes us trying to take care of our orthodontic patients.
Many of our day to day activities are being done differently now and will continue to be done differently for the near future. Orthodontic treatment is no different. This week, we will begin seeing patients again within the guidelines set forth by national, state, and local authorities and associations. These guidelines change often - so please be understanding. Some changes will be obvious, some will not. Please understand that these precautions are for the safety and health of everyone involved.
As our website stated before, our waiting room will be closed for now. When arriving for an appointment, please call the office (972-257-3200) to let us know that you have arrived. There is also a new texting feature on our website (www.dr-ohlenforst.com) that can be used to let us know you have arrived. A staff member will come out to your car to escort the patient into the office. We ask that parents of young and adolescent patients please wait in the car. Adult patients should also wait to be escorted inside.
There will be an updated Health Questionnaire and Informed Consent to be filled out and signed. This form is also available on our website for review. We ask that patients wear a mask. The patient’s temperature will be taken with a touch-free thermometer (anyone with a temperature above 99.6 will be asked to reschedule) and we will ask patients to use a hand sanitizer when entering. The staff member will then escort the patient in for their appointment.
We are asked to continue to practice social distancing guidelines, so fewer patients will be scheduled daily. Please understand if it takes a while to get an appointment.
We will all be wearing more PPE – scrubs, facemasks, face shields. I have even had to shave off my beard that I have had for 37+ years in order to use an N95 mask properly! Any aerosol generating procedures will be postponed for the time being. We are also disinfecting our office regularly between patients. Please brush your teeth before coming for appointments because our toothbrushing area will be closed.
Together, we will get through this. Thanks for your understanding.
5/7/2020
First, let me say we hope all of you are doing well and staying safe during these trying times. We’ve missed you and we’re eager to see you!
Our office temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic but we’re working to reopen by June 1, and are paying close attention to guidance from the CDC, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the American Dental Association, and the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. These guidelines ask dental practices to see fewer patients and to reduce “traffic flow” in our offices. This means we will be changing, temporarily, some of the ways we do things in our office.
We’ll be wearing masks! We also ask that all patients wear a mask when they come for their appointments.
New office configuration: Our waiting room and our tooth-brushing area will be temporarily closed. We’ve added large “sneeze guards” at the front desk, and will be using only some of the dental chairs in our office. We ask patients to brush their teeth before coming to the office.
Staying healthy and social distancing: We will screen patients by phone before their appointments and when they arrive at the office. We will also ask adult patients and parents of minor children to sign or confirm via email a short form confirming the screening, along with an updated Informed Consent based on an AAO form. We will take each patient’s temperature with a touch-free thermometer before any treatment begins.
We will also reduce the number of patients in the office at the same time. We will ask adult patients and parents of our child patients to call us when they arrive in the parking lot, and ask parents to remain in their car during their child’s visit. For small children, we will send a staff member out to the vehicle to escort your child into the treatment area. As soon as we have completed the patient’s appointment, we will escort the younger patients back to the vehicle in the parking lot. If you anticipate any problem with this procedure, please let us know when you schedule your appointment. Scheduling future appointments and making payments can be done via phone before or after the appointment.
Getting braces on will - temporarily - be easier than getting them off. Recently announced guidelines, including from the CDC and AAO, indicate the benefits of limiting “Aerosol Generating Procedures.” In an orthodontic setting, that includes the use of air-driven handpieces and air/water syringes that we ordinarily use to polish off the glue after we remove braces. We will discuss available options with each individual patient concerning when/how to remove traditional braces.
Please be patient. This will take time. Keep in mind that we want to do the absolute best thing for every single patient.
As before, feel free to call me on my cell (214-502-1207) with any questions. If you just want to talk to someone that you have not been spending quality time with for the last two months, you can call me. Stay safe, Stay sane.