Over the last couple of months, our community and world have been dealt with multiple, abrupt changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a dental team, we are dedicated to our profession. We genuinely love what we do, and we have spent weeks staying informed of new guidelines and protocols.
We want to walk you through the changes that you will see in our dental office. First, though, we want to tell you what has NOT changed: Our entire team is committed to providing you with the best dental care. We have always had an approach of meeting our patients wherever they are at on their dental health journey, and we will continue to do this. Your comfort will always be on the forefront of our mind.
You trust us with your dental care, and that is why we have dedicated our time to stay on top of federal and local guidelines, acquire the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and work to streamline our work processes to best implement new protocols.
As dental professionals, we have always had strict protocols when it comes to infection control. Now, we want to assure you that we are taking additional measures to keep our team, patients and community safe.
Here’s what you can expect at your upcoming dental appointments:
- Pre-screening patients. We will be pre-screening all patients before they come into our office. We ask that you answer these questions honestly and provide information to your very best knowledge.
- Special scheduling considerations. In an effort to social distance as much as possible, we are scheduling differently. Our goal is to space out appointments so that interactions with others are limited.
- Arriving at our office for an appointment. We ask that you limit the number of companions to your appointment. If possible, only bring yourself. For children, we ask that only one guardian accompany a child. Upon arrival to our office, you are welcome to wait in your car instead of our waiting room. When you arrive, call us at 712-737-4177 to let us know you are here. We will then call you back when we are ready for you to come in. Please note, our waiting room will not have toys, magazines and other items.
- Entering our office. Patients are required to wear masks upon their arrival in our office. When you open the door, you will see a sanitation station where you are asked to sanitize your hands. If you do not have a mask, you will also be provided with one. Your temperature will be taken and pre-screening questions will again take place.
- Dental treatment. The dental provider will guide you through the procedure. You will take your own mask off before starting the procedure, and when the procedure is complete, you will put the mask back on. You may notice that we are wearing extra PPE.
- Post-appointment process. When checking out of our office, we will work to limit contact with you. We will also remind you to report any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 within the next 14 days of your appointment.
Please note, if you do not feel comfortable coming in for dental treatment at this time, we support you in that decision. If you have questions or concerns, we are always available via phone, email, or through our website. We are happy to help in any way.
Working together, we are confident we can provide the dental treatment you need in the safest way possible.
We are very thankful for our patients, and we look forward to serving you again.
Mark Scallon, DDS & Greg Beernink, DDS
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