HOW OUR OFFICE IS PREPARED FOR COVID-19:

Patients are pre-screened when booking a dental appointment, with questions provided by Ottawa Public Health. We take each patient’s temperature when in our office; we do not treat anyone with a temperature of 37.5 C or higher. Patients are asked to come to their appointments alone, other than in the case of a minor or a person needing caregiver assistance (in this case only ONE support person per patient is permitted and the support person must stay in the operatory with you for the duration of your appointment).

Patients are required to wear masks at all times other than treatment time. Staff members all wear masks in all areas of the office. Plexiglass barriers have been installed at the reception desk. Fewer appointment times will be available and they will be staggered to optimize distancing measures. Walk-ins will no longer be permitted. Appointments must be pre-booked. We ask that next appointments be booked in the treatment rooms if possible, or by phone to limit the time spent in the reception area.

Personal conversations at the front desk should be kept to a minimum to help maintain distancing measures & to help us preserve the flow of our schedule. We have physical distancing measures in place: NO seating in the waiting room if needed patients will be asked to wait in a sealed off consult/waiting area and brought in for treatment as soon as screening is complete. Patients may choose to wait in their cars and will be called by phone when the hygienist or dentist is ready to bring them in for their appointment. This would be mandatory and entrance locked if the limited indoor waiting area was to be fully occupied. Patients are instructed to use hand sanitizer on their hands when they enter our reception area and we have changed to fully digital contactless forms.

All magazines and toys in the children’s play area have been removed. Each staff member has their temperature checked as soon as they arrive to work. Clinical Staff wears the following PPE: approved and fit-tested KN95 masks and/or a surgical mask, a face shield, surgical gown, and gloves. Each patient is given a pre-procedural rinse of 1% hydrogen peroxide for 30-60 seconds prior to any treatment. Every treatment room has been isolated and sealed with 6mm plastic barriers with single-door access. Every treatment room has its own dedicated, surgical-grade, air-purification unit with multi-layered HEPA filters in place.

All aerosol-generating procedures are minimized, and effectively mitigated with the use of high volume-suction and air-purification units. Our building has its own tested and maintained commercial-grade HVAC unit. Patients are asked to use hand sanitizer again upon completion of their treatment. Door handles, washrooms, chairs, and countertops are disinfected regularly. All dental equipment is reprocessed, disinfected, and sterilized according to Ministry of Health IPAC standards. We Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we all adjust to the difficult new reality. Please contact the office should you have further questions.