COVID-19 Patient Guide

Keeping You + Your Smile Safe

Dear Patients and Families:

We have created this page to help you understand the steps and protocols we have implemented to protect everyone who enters our office. We want you to feel comfortable and safe before, during and after your appointment with us.

As you know, patient and staff safety has always been at the top of our priorities, and we have always adhered to the strictest infection control protocol with the latest equipment and techniques.

NEW CHANGES

Before coming to our office please be aware of the following:

• Always wear your MASK into our office.
• Please brush your teeth BEFORE arriving (office toothbrushing area is closed).
• Our bathroom facilities are CLOSED to the public so be sure you are comfortable before you come to our office.
• To adhere to our protocols please be ON TIME for your appointment to keep social distancing with others. If not on time, we may have no choice but to reschedule you.
• We have blocked off reception chairs to adhere to social distancing. We ask patients to come by themselves, but if you need to, ONLY ONE additional family member is allowed.
• Check in at the front desk to let them know you are here, and sit in one of the designated seats not blocked off by tape. Patient sign in is turned off.
• We will ask you a few questions about how you are feeling (do NOT enter facility if you have been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 within 14 days or have a cough or feel warm).
• We will take your temperature and sanitize your hands before bringing you to a treatment chair which are excess of 6 feet apart. Companions/parents who enter will have the same procedures taken.
• Once seated in a treatment chair, we will have you rinse with Colgate Peroxyl 1.5% hydrogen peroxide rinse prior to us examining/treating your teeth.

What We're Doing for Your Safety

Thank you for your continued support. We have been working with our team in this new dynamic.

Just as a review, we have the following protocols for sterilization and safety:

• Everyone in the office will be wearing a mask from either a level 1-3 surgical mask to N95.
• Clinical staff will be wearing either safety glasses or a face shield.
• We have limited our aerosol procedures to only ONE room with a door. We will utilize scrubs and PPE gowns for any procedure generating an aerosol. Fortunately, orthodontics has very few procedures that generate aerosols.
• We have obtained surgically clean air purifiers (Jade model) which not only have a HEPA-RX filter, but also an activated Carbon Filter as well as a Germicidal UV bulb sterilizer in our clinical area. This combination effectively filters 99.98% of harmful ultrafine particles less than .003 microns in size.  www.surgicallycleanair.com/jade/
• As we always have, we utilize hand sanitizers and/or wash our hands between every patient. Our dental units are wiped down with CaviWipes.
• Our autoclave sterilizers are constantly monitored for effectiveness with frequent spore testing and our instruments as always are bagged.
• We are utilizing a more effective high evacuation suction (Xuction) to minimize aerosol spray.

Feel free to call us with any questions or concerns at 925-735-1515 but we know you will notice our enhanced safety measures.

As always, we are here for you.

Stay safe!

Dr. Bigman