There are fewer cleaner places than the dental office. Practices are held to high safety and cleanliness standards by the CDC and OSHA. Due to the pandemic, these standards have become even more rigorous. Even though life during COVID-19 can feel uncertain, you can be confident that your dental visits will be completely safe. Learn what your emergency dentist in Annapolis is doing to protect patients from the virus.
1.) Clean, Healthy Teams
Safety in the dental practice starts with the team. Before the start of work each day, each team member receives a health screening consisting of a no-touch temperature check and a COVID-19 exposure questionnaire. Patients also receive this same test before their appointments to make sure that nobody is at risk of spreading the virus. They have set strict hygiene standards and are changing into and out of freshly cleaned scrubs at the office to avoid any outside contamination.
2.) Sanitation Practices
Dental teams have always been sticklers for cleanliness. Operatories are cleaned immediately after each appointment. Every exposed surface in the room is completely sanitized and all used dental tools go through a thorough sterilization process. At the end of each day, the office undergoes a deep cleaning to make sure that it is completely ready for the next day. Practices are even adding HEPA-grade filters to their HVAC systems to keep the air as clean as possible.
3.) Social Distancing in the Office
Social distancing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To make it easier for patients to keep an appropriate distance, practices have put systems in place that allow patients to check-in and wait for their appointment in their car. If you would prefer to sit in the waiting area, you’ll notice that all chairs have been spaced six feet apart and that there are no longer magazines and books to peruse. Additionally, clear barriers have been strategically placed throughout offices to help patients and team members to keep appropriate distances.
These three safety standards are just part of the dynamic protocols practices have put in place to protect patients. Your dentist’s number one priority is helping you to improve your health. During your next dental appointment, you can be certain that you are completely safe, pandemic or not.
About the Author
Dr. Gary Goodman has been serving the Annapolis area for nearly forty years. He thinks of each patient as a member of his dental family and does everything that he can to keep them safe and healthy. Since graduating from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, he has studied at some of the most prestigious dental institutions like the Pankey Institute, the Spear Study Club, the Seattle Study Club, and the Chesapeake Implant Study Club. You can be certain that you’re getting the best care possible when you visit Goodman Dental Care. If you’d like to learn more about how Dr. Goodman and his team are protecting patients from the coronavirus, give the practice a call at (410) 849-6247 or reach out to them through their website.