COVID - 19
COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of anxiety for everyone. I want to assure all of you that your health and the health of our dental team are of the foremost importance. This office has always been known for being immaculately clean and adhering to state-of-the-art sterilization and infection control. For your safety, we have further updated our infection control protocols to adhere to the latest guidance from both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA). These protocols are constantly evolving. As more becomes known about the virus, we will continue to update.
Our office is aware that COVID-19 demands that we all take special precautions to reduce the risk of contracting the virus at home and in public places. My Simon Dentistry is particularly qualified to keep our patients, their family and our team safe. We have always strictly followed, and will continue to follow, the guidelines from both Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA). Our patients can take comfort in knowing that we are concerned about your overall health and well-being in addition to your oral needs.
Screening Process and What to Expect
We are screening all of our patients prior to entering the office as well as when they enter the office. The questions that we will be asking you prior to your appointment are as follows:
1. Do you or have you had a fever within the past 2 weeks?
2. Do you have or have you had cough or shortness of breath within the past 2 weeks?
3. Do you have or have you had any flu-like symptoms within the past 2 weeks?
4. Have you been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient within the past 2 weeks?
If you have NOT had any of these symptoms, you will asked not bring any companions with you to your dental appointment unless necessary.
When arriving at the office for your scheduled appointment time please wait in your car and give the office a call at 516-377-1818. In an effort to limit patient contact, we will inform you when the office is ready to see you for treatment.
We ask that before you enter the office, you put on a mask or other face covering as recommended by the CDC.
Patients will be escorted to their treatment area at which time they will have their temperature taken with a contactless thermometer. If a temperature is below 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, the mask or face covering may be removed.
What precautions We Are Taking to Keep Patients and the Dental Team Safe
Reception Areas- Disinfection and Safety
We ask that all patients and dental team members wear a mask when entering the office. Before the start of each shift, team members have their temperatures taken and are evaluated for symptoms.
Hand sanitizer is available at the reception and patients are encouraged to use it when entering the office.
All public surfaces (i.e. doorknobs, counter tops, reception chairs, etc) are disinfected with a bleach based solution as recommended by the EPA and CDC to effectively kill bacteria and viruses.
Treatment Areas- Sterilization and Safety
Infection control and universal precautions protect patients and staff alike. Everyone benefits from rigorous infection control. Our office follows procedures and recommendations by several federal agencies including the American Dental Association (ADA), New York State Dental Association (NYSDA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
These measures include but are not limited to:
- Meticulous handwashing before and after each patient
- Gloves, Face Masks, Eye Protection, Gowns/Lab Coats
- Chemical Disinfection of countertops, dental treatment chairs and all other surfaces
- Heat/Pressure Autoclave sterilization of instruments before every patient
- Disposable single-use materials when possible
- HVAC office filters to remove viral particles from the air