Return to normalcy at BatesDDS during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In anticipation of getting back to normal here at BatesDDS, we wish to provide you with an update on our reopening on May 19th. The health and safety of our patients and team members has always been the most important part of all that we do.

Dentistry, as part of the greater healthcare system, has always been at the forefront of infection control and patient safety. We follow all of the recommendations, guidelines, and laws from the American Dental Association (ADA), The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). During this time of a pandemic, we are continuing to monitor the updating of any recommendation or guidelines that come from these aformentioned organizations. While our attention to your individual needs and the personal care that you expect to receive from our team has not changed, we have made some minor procedural adjustments to help us adhere to the interim guidance that we have received. The purpose of this article is to explain what those minor changes are so that you know what to expect at your next visit. These adjustments are as follows:

• Changes to check-in procedures

• Interim waiting room protocol

• Team member screening protocol

• Adjustments to ensure social distancing recommendations are followed

• Reiteration of existing infection control protocol

Changes to Check-in Procedures

Patient screening is important to prevention. A team member will be asking you questions from a standard questionnaire both prior to and when you arrive at your appointment. You will receive a body temperature screening when you arrive with a touchless thermometer. Once your screening is complete and the proper documents have been updated, you will be taken to your treatment room.

Interim Waiting Room Protocol

If your treatment room is not yet ready, you may sit in the waiting room if social distancing can be accommodated and on occasion where this is not possible, you may be asked to wait in your car until our team is ready for you. You will notice that we have removed all magazines and children’s toys at this time to prevent any cross contamination. We have also added sneeze guards to our front office desk area to protect our reception team members. Lastly, you can be assured that the common areas of the office are being continually sanitized throughout the day by our team members.

Team Member Screening Protocol

All team members working on any particular day are screened with a body temperature and questionnaire that is to be recorded. If a member is experiencing any symptoms of illness, they will be asked to stay home until a return to full health.

Adjustments to Ensure Social Distancing Recommendations are Followed

As explained in a previous section, we ask that all adhere to social distancing recommendations. While our waiting room will still be used, our reception team members will be monitoring the need to adjust if there are too many people present. We also ask that patients limit the amount of guests that accompany them to their appointments. Our office has been designed from its inception for privacy. Each patient room has one entry and is fully enclosed. This not only provides better opportunities for social distancing and privacy, but also better isolation for infection control.

Reiteration of existing infection control protocol

Dentistry has historically been at forefront of infection control in the healthcare setting. We at BatesDDS adhere to the highest standards of infection control for the safety and health of both our patients and our team. As stated earlier, our office design and new equipment play an important part in infection control. Each patient room is fully enclosed with a single entry which allows for privacy. Our state-of-the-art equipment is made of smooth lines and durable material which allow for easy and thorough disinfection. As always, in accordance with CDC and OSHA requirements, each patient room is completely disinfected and sanitized between patients to the highest standards available. We have added Medify Air units to each operatory. These are air circulation units with HEPA 13 and carbon filters are designed to clean and recirculate clean air. While there is no specific evidence in regard to this current virus and air purification, we know that these units will aid in providing the cleanest environment possible.

Conclusion

This article is to provide you some of the information about what we are doing during this pandemic to make your visit to our office the very best possible. While this list is not completely comprehensive, we encourage you to ask questions or call 509-276-6996 if you desire further information. We cannot emphasize enough that the safety and health of our patients and team members has always been at the forefront of what we do and will continue in similar fashion. We are grateful for your patience and flexibility as we implement this interim protocol. We don’t expect that some of these things will be continued after the pandemic, but we can expect some of these protocols to be a new normal. What has not changed is our mission to providing the very best and most advanced care that dentistry has to offer. One of the best parts of our profession is our association with our patients. We look forward to seeing you soon and we are always grateful for your trust and confidence in our dental team.