COVID-19/YOUR APPOINTMENT
A MESSAGE FROM DR. MICHAEL TOBIAN ans DR. MAURISSA KIEFER
The year 2020 was very memorable. Our staff had their yearly trip to Disneyland in February, and then the state-wide shelter-in place happened. On March 18, we stayed open for Dental Emergencies and essential dental care. On June 1, we reopened Dental Hygiene appointments. We had 3 months of backlog to get patients back in to clean their teeth. Thanks to our awesome Dental Team we were able to reschedule all patients that wanted to come back and get their teeth cleaned.
COVID-19 brought new challenges to dentistry and to the community as a whole. We were already trained and practicing proper Infection Control, therefore the guidelines given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 were already in use in our office. We already wear gloves, masks and sanitize each room after each appointment. Our office took extra precautions by installing protective glass at the front desk, high air filtration units in each operatory, high speed air purifier to reduce aerosols during cleanings and dental procedures, High Volume Evacuation (HVE) adaptors to reduce aerosols during dental procedures, thermometers to take patients temperature before every visit and hand sanitizers throughout the office.
We now require all patients to use a pre-rinse of Listerine, hydrogen peroxide and water before each appointment to kill any potential virus in their mouths. You may be seated in a new room every time you visit our office because each Hygienist and Dr. Tobian work out of two rooms to ensure proper sterilization and removal of aerosols between appointments.
To ensure proper Social Distancing, we require all patients to wear a mask when they enter the office and to avoid any patients waiting in our Front Lobby. We ask that you call when you arrive to your appointment prior to coming inside, to ensure no one else is in the reception area.
We are so fortunate that our office staff has obtained the COVID-19 vaccine. Several members have already received their second shot and have built up the immunities to conquer this pandemic. Covid-19 contact tracing in the U.S. has never identified a single Dental Office as the initial source. Therefore, our Dental office is a very safe place to visit. Research has shown that it is not only safe to visit the dentist, but evidence shows cleaning your teeth to prevent oral bacteria can minimize the risk and severity of COVID-19 infection.
I am very optimistic that we will continue to overcome this COVID-19 pandemic. Our office and the surrounding community is on the path to the new “normal”. We want you to know your safety and health, as well as the safety and health of our dental team, is our number one priority.
Thank you for trusting us during these unprecedented times. Please call our office If you have any questions about your next dental appointment or the precautions we have installed in our office to keep you and our staff healthy.
Wishing you a healthy and happy smile for 2021.
Dr. Michael Tobian and Dr. Maurissa Kiefer