Since coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the McCarl Dental Group has met or exceeded every safety recommendation from the Maryland Department of Health, American Dental Association (ADA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We know this is not the first time you’re hearing about this from our team, and it probably won’t be the last. It’s very important to us to make sure our patients know that their health and safety are of the utmost importance to us. Now that non-emergency patients are back in the dental office, there will be larger numbers of people in and out of the practice, so we will continue to adjust our safety protocols to protect our patients, employees, and the Millersville Community. To learn more about the most recent changes in our COVID-19 safety protocols, watch the video from Dr. Jay McCarl or continue reading this blog.
Alternative Waiting Room
In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were screening patients, taking temperatures, and providing masks after they came into the waiting room. Now, we’ve implemented an alternative waiting room process. This involves having patients call our dental office from their car. When you call, you’ll be instructed to place your face mask. Then, one of our team members will come out to your car, take your temperature using a touchless thermometer, and ask a few screening questions. We are scheduling patients to ensure minimal overlap, but in the rare cases where you do need to spend some time in the reception area, we’ve positioned the chairs in our waiting room to meet social distancing standards.
Our Office Protocols
The team member who completes your screening will escort you into our dental office. You’ll be asked to use hand sanitizer as soon as you enter the practice to remove any bacteria and germs from your hands. Then, you’ll be taken back to your operatory. As you walk through the dental office, you may notice that it’s a little loud. In the waiting room and each of our operatories, we’re running medical-grade H13 air purifiers for maximum air filtration. Additionally, we’ve incorporated the Isolite system into our treatment rooms. Paired with traditional high speed suction, the Isolite system prevents up to 90% of aerosol during dental care.
Once you’re seated in the operatory chair, you’ll be asked remove your mask and use an oral pre-rinse. While there is some conflicting information about the efficacy of pre-rinses, the ADA and CDC recommended the use of 1% hydrogen peroxide rinse as best practice for dental offices. We use a 1.5% hydrogen peroxide pre-rinse, exceeding the minimum recommendation.
Our Employee Protocols
Our employees also undergone screenings each day before they come to work, which allows us to minimize risk for patients. All employees will be wearing face masks throughout the office. During your treatments, our dentists and team members will be wearing three layers of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). We’ll wear an N95 face mask, standard surgical face mask, and facial shield during treatment. We’ll wear new surgical gowns to treat each patient. We use both fresh, disposable gowns and reusable gowns that are washed between treating each patient. In some areas, including our reception desk, we’ll place plastic shields.
Get to Know the McCarl Dental Group Team
We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and scary for all of us, but we’re excited to be back in the dental office doing what we love to do – keeping Millersville families smiling! When you’re ready to come back to see us, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We look forward to seeing you soon.