Welcome

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

January Update

Due to the recent surge of COVID cases in our community and the critical situation our hospitals are in, we have made the difficult decision to close the office for the remainder of the month.  Although we take every precaution to keep everyone safe, we feel that any elective procedure right now is an unnecessary risk to our patients, staff and community.  We will be seeing patients on an emergency basis only.

If you have an appointment scheduled during this time, we will call you to reschedule when we re-open.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please contact the office at       (805) 963-2041 as we will be checking messages periodically.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Please stay safe and healthy.

Rest assured, while we have always maintained the highest Infection Control Standards, we have taken additional precautions to keep both our patients and staff even safer, and will continue to do so upon our return.

• We have removed all carpeting in the office and installed barriers at the front desk.
• We have hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and tissues placed throughout the office.
• We have installed a door to separate the front of the office from the treatment rooms in the back.
  
• Our hygienists are now using the High Volume Evacuation Systems the doctors have always used, along with an Exterior Aerosol Vacuum to help capture the aerosols created chairside.
• We have Surgically Clean Air Purification systems in the treatment rooms which remove any of the  aerosols missed.   Each device has High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)  filters and Activated Carbon filters, as well as UV & Titanium Dioxide sterilization systems within the device.  The combination of the Surgically Clean Air's filtration and purification process effectively captures 99.9% of all particulates.
• The reception area as well as other areas of the office are equipped with standard HEPA filtration units.
  
• We are scheduling with social distancing in mind, so no more than two patients will be allowed in the reception area at one time. 
  
• All magazines have been removed and we disinfect the waiting room, bathroom, all door handles and other common areas, between patients.
• All staff will be donned in the required PPE and we are asking all patients to wear masks when in the common areas of the office.  We have masks available for those that need them. 
  
• All staff are evaluated for cold or flu like symptoms and their temperatures taken prior to them entering the office.  Any staff with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be asked to go home.
  

In addition, we have implemented the following procedures that will be standard protocol for the duration of the pandemic:

• When we call to confirm your appointment, we will go over the new protocol with you and ask that you let us know if you have not been feeling well anytime in the last two weeks.
• When you arrive for your appointment, please ring the doorbell we have now and we will be with you as soon as we can.  We will be taking your temperature and you will be asked to sign off on a series of screening questions.  Upon entering the office, we will have you use hand sanitizer and if we are ready for you, you will be taken directly back to the treatment room.  If we are not ready for you, we may ask you to wait in the reception area, outside, or in your car if you prefer, and we will call you when the room is finished being prepared for you.
• With the additional PPE that the staff is required to wear, the office may be even colder than usual.  We do have blankets available for patient comfort, but you may want to bring an additional sweater as well if you so desire.

Some things that you can do to help us maintain a safe environment:

• We ask that if you or anyone you have been in close contact with, are not feeling well or have had cold or flu like symptoms within the last 14 days, that you reschedule your appointment.
  

• Wear a mask while in the common areas of the office.
  
• Practice proper hand hygiene, respiratory and cough etiquette while in the office.
• If a caregiver or guardian needs to accompany you to your appointment, we ask that you bring only one, if possible.
  
• For those patients who fall into a higher risk category for a more severe response to COVID-19, you may want to  reschedule your appointment. 
  

We encourage you to visit the websites of the following official health organizations for further information on protecting yourselves and others:

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 

www.CDC.gov

American Dental Assocciation

www.ADA.org

World Health Organization

www.WHO.int

Our Practice

When you visit our office, your smile is our top priority.  Our entire team is dedicated to providing you with the personalized, gentle care that you deserve.

Part of our commitment to serving our patients includes providing information that helps them to make more informed decisions about their oral health needs.  This website is a resource we hope you’ll find both useful and interesting.