Dear Patient’s and Families:
We hope this letter finds you and your family safe and healthy. Our global and local communities have been through a life-changing period, and we are all hoping to return to some sense of normalcy soon.
While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your health and safety. Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. This commitment to ensuring a safe, yet comfortable environment has been paramount to top quality orthodontic care. Our aim is to meet or exceed all of the infection control procedures put in place by the dental regulators and public health authorities in the province of Ontario.
Although we have always followed stringent infection control guidelines, the practice of orthodontics involves close personal contact.
In order to further protect your health. You will see several changes to our in office procedures We have made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
- Our office will communicate with you before each appointment to explain changes in our patient sign in process and clinical procedures. We will also be reviewing with you a screening questionnaire.
- You will be asked those same screening questions again when you arrive at the office for your appointment. We may also record your temperature when you attend for your appointment
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that, for the foreseeable future, you will be offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- We will be restricting the number of people coming to an appointment. For older children and adults, only the patient may attend in the office. No accompanying family or friends will be allowed. For younger patients or those who cannot be unaccompanied, we are limiting it to one (1) parent or caregiver only. Accompanying parents will no longer be allowed in the clinical treatment areas.
- You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- All patients must brush their teeth before their appointment. After brushing, no food or drink except plain water should be consumed until after the appointment. You will not be able to brush your teeth in the clinic, however we will ask you to rinse with a mild mouth rinse as recommended to reduce any possible virus.
- You will be provided with a hydrogen peroxide mouthrinse before any clinical work is undertaken. This is a safe product which may help reduce any bacteria and viruses in the mouth for a period of time.
- We have added HEPA air filtration to help to provide a safe clean environment within the office.
- We have added isolation rooms for any procedures which may involve aerosol production to prevent as much as possible any spread of virus from asymptomatic carriers.
- You will be required to wear a mask while in the office. Please wear one until in the dental chair and ready to start your work. If you are accompanying a patient you must also wear a mask. If you do not have a mask we will provide one for you.
- We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed. You should also use sanitizer when leaving.
- While in the office, as much as possible, please refrain from touching anything. All surfaces are treated with hospital grade disinfectants before and after every appointment, however, the less contact that is made with various surfaces, the better.
- When leaving the office, there is no need to stop by the front desk. As much as possible all scheduling and payment matters should be handled by email or telephone.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your patience as we work through all these changes, and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
Dr. Zeit and Staff
