Coronavirus News: Our Commitment to our Orthodontic Family
Last updated 5/2021
As of 5/7 we have been cleared to resume regular appointments in our offices! While this is great news we want to also notify you of the many changes that we have implemented to ensure the safety of all patients and staff. If this is the first time you have been to our office since the shut down, we will be calling you ahead of your appointment to discuss how these changes will affect your visit.
- When you arrive at our office please call (240) 500-0246 to do a health screening and be checked in for your appointment. Once you are checked in we will greet you outside (at your car in Hagerstown and at the door in Frederick) and bring you into the office.
- We ask that patients who have been travelling to areas of high community transmission of COVID-19 (10% or higher transmission rate) wait 14 days after the date of their return before coming into the office for an appointment.
- Everyone entering the office will be asked to wear a mask.
- As restrictions begin to ease, we are beginning to bring patients back into the waiting room. We ask that only the appointed patient enters the office so that we can minimize risk of exposure as we continually try to keep a social distance in our office space. The triage staff will instruct you when it is time for the patient to enter the building. If a parent is instructed to accompany the patient, we ask that siblings not be present.
- Parents and siblings will be asked to stay in your car’s ‘waiting room’. An assistant will walk your child to the car after the appointment to provide a treatment update and answer any questions.
- We are minimizing aerosols in the clinic by removing brushing stations and reducing the number of aerosol generating procedures. We ask that you please brush your teeth prior to arriving for your visit.
- We are offering Tele-dentistry appointments and will discuss this option on an individual basis. This is an excellent option for retainer and certain aligner progress visits as well as pre-treatment observation visits.
- We have installed new centralized air purification systems in both offices. Check out the REME-Halo systems (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FCFF9Uj3Zk) as well installing stand-along HEPA filters.
- We have added physical barriers between chairs in our Frederick office.
- Staff have been onboarded with updated CDC and OSHA requirements so that they are comfortable operating in our new normal. We also have an appointed Compliance Coordinator who will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Nothing is more important to us than your safety and we are doing everything we can to ensure the well-being of our patients and employees as we navigate this together. Despite things being different this is one constant that we will continue to promise you.