NEW PATIENT FORMS

COVID-19 REQUIRED SCREENING FORMS

MESSAGE ABOUT COVID-19 & OFFICE PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS

• The local governments around Tucson are requiring face masks to be worn in public.  We encourage patients to follow this guideline and wear a face mask when entering our facilities.  For the peace of mind of all patients, please maintain social distancing while not wearing facial coverings.  As always, staff and doctors at our office will be wearing PPE to protect you while in direct close contact with you.
• Please DO NOT wear gloves into our office.  Please remove any gloves before entering our office.
• Continue the practice of the CDC's "Universal Precautions" to prevent the spread of ALL communicable diseases.  These procedures have been the standard of care for decades.  https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/summary-infection-prevention-practices/standard-precautions.html)
• Until no longer necessary, we will screen patients (which may include temperature checks) entering the facility using the following form [COVID-19] per the ADA recommendations.  It is recommended that this be done before you arrive.  They can be done by phone as well.
• Until no longer necessary, we will following social distancing protocols in our facilities.
• Limiting the treatment and waiting rooms to patients receiving treatment only unless a primary or compassionate caregiver is needed provided they accept the conditions associated with being in a treatment room.
• Until no longer necessary and unless scheduling allows simultaneous appointments for a family, we may need to spread out the appointments of large families to avoid the waiting and treatment rooms being too full.
• The use of air purifiers in our treatment and waiting rooms that clean the room multiple times per hour.  Combined with the use of high volume evacuation equipment, this will reduce the amount of aerosol spread.
• The wiping down of common surfaces in our common areas on a frequent schedule.
• Patients and staff that are ill, recently ill, living with or caring for someone who is ill or recently ill will need to postpone or cancel treatment.  Staff will not come to work using the same criteria.
• PPE is worn to protect both dental providers and patients.  We will use at least the  minimum required PPE along with Universal Precautions and sterilization procedures and are confident in the level of protection that it will provide to all.
• Our staff have all reviewed these Universal Precautions and have agreed to their strict adherence and the reporting of any lapses.
• Continued use of TeleHealth practices to help screen patients and avoid delays that could result in pushing out appointments and running behind schedule.

• Reducing printed materials by using phone calls, texts, emails,  and the continued use of electronic forms.
• Trying to accomplish more account related items via patient's web portals, including payments and the making of appointments.  We would be happy to help you set these up and reset passwords if needed.  They are getting more features all the time.
• We will be discontinuing the practice of providing you complimentary hygiene products as a standard practice.  We also will not be providing toothbrushes for patients wishing to brush their teeth when at our office.
• We will only schedule future hygiene appointments 4 weeks before their 6 month due dates to avoid the situation we currently find ourselves in.  This provides flexibility for everyone and will avoid the sudden changes to our schedule that hurt our productivity.

• No outbreaks of Covid-19 have been attributed to dental services or facilities, including in Germany where dental services continued as normal during the pandemic.
• Universal Precautions have been very effective since implemented during the AIDS epidemic and have been effective in preventing the transmission through routine dental care and practices.
• Covid-19 testing is not a requirement for routine dental work provided in dental offices, including esthetic or cosmetic tooth procedures.  The only time that dental offices would have to implement a robust testing plan would be if it is determined that patients or staff are at high risk (e.g. a patient treated later finds out that they had corona virus when treated), or an elective, non-essential cosmetic jaw surgery were to be performed in a hospital or surgery center.
• The Governor's new Executive Order allows all routine dental procedures to resume, including cosmetic tooth procedures.  There are some misunderstandings in the dental communities regarding this, but the only procedures that require different protocols are those elective, non-essential cosmetic jaw surgeries due to the invasive nature and/or the use of the hospital bed.