SARS-CoV-2 / Coronavirus / COVID-19
As most are painfully aware, the world is currently experiencing a pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus 2019, also known as COVID-19) . Our hearts go out to those within and throughout our community that may have been affected by the novel coronavirus. In this time, it is incredibly important to stay current and follow guidelines and recommendations. While guidelines may begin to ease across the country, it is still important to remember proper hygiene and social distancing practices. In light of reopening full time, we at Children’s Dental Care of Norwalk LLC want to reassure all families and patients that we are taking the highest amount of precautions and steps possible in order to increase the safety of our providers, staff, and patients. We have been incredibly fortunate to have healthy members of our practice, but will continue to monitor our personnel closely.
Our Practice’s Response to COVID-19
Our office has (in the past) and will continue to follow universal standards of safety and care. While we are proud to have always maintained ADA, AAPD, and CDC standards of protection, health, and care, we would like to help reassure patients by providing additional examples of steps our office is taking in light of SARS-CoV-2.
To maintain maximal social distancing, we are managing appointments and scheduling availabilities. You may be offered more limited options for scheduling times. While inconvenient, we are managing appointments with patient and family safety as highest priority. This reduces the number of people in the waiting area at any given time.
Tissues, waste baskets, and hand sanitizer will be readily available throughout the office.
Every patient will have their hands sanitized prior to entering and leaving the operatory.
Every individual entering the office will have their temperatures checked. Those with a high temperature will be asked to leave promptly and return at a later date.
Operatories are isolated from the rest of the office.
Operatories are limited to the minimum number of individuals possible per procedure.
Operatories, as always, are disinfected thoroughly between each patient visit.
Office space will be sanitized in between each family visit.
Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to allow the use of our magazines, books, toys, and video games in order to maintain proper hygiene practices.
We would like to thank you for your trust in our practice at Children’s Dental Care of Norwalk LLC. We want to assure you that we have, and always will, practice with our patient’s health and safety in mind. In order to do our part, these, among other practices, are being implemented to keep our patients, staff, and healthcare providers safe during this difficult time. We look forward to seeing you soon. Stay healthy and hopeful.
Important Patient and Family Information
We will be requesting patients and families do the following, upon their dental appointment:
Patients and families will be required to fill out a COVID-19 questionnaire and brief medical history prior to each appointment. Please keep our office informed of any recent medical changes prior to and after the scheduled appointment. If your child is ill prior to the appointment, please call and inform us so that together we can go over the next steps. If a family member is ill, and they believe to be showing symptoms of COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, and call your family doctor for more information.
Families and patients are to remain in their vehicles until their scheduled appointment in order to limit the number of people in the office at one time.
In accordance with Connecticut guidelines, masks or appropriate face covers must be worn at all times whenever outside of your home in the public; we will not see patients or families who do not adhere to these guidelines. The only exceptions are patients younger than 2 years old.
Each individual appointment will include extra time built in to ensure that one family at a time is in the office and seen by staff. Due to the increase of demand and usage of PPE during these times, there will be a PPE fee.
Please arrive at your scheduled time, especially after confirming the appointment previously with staff. Due to reduced availability and appointments, in order to minimize the number of people in the office and reduce unnecessary risk of exposure to others, patients late over 15 minutes will not be seen, and will be charged a missed appointment fee at the discretion of staff. In order to best contact a family and avoid this, we ask that you call and confirm or update phone numbers and emails where the family can be best reached in order to assure that our office is able to best communicate with you or your family.
Guardians of children under 4 years old may accompany their child into the operatory, however, we ask that numbers of individuals in the operatory are kept at an absolute minimum at all times. Any additional persons in the operatory will follow guidelines, and may be asked to leave the operatory at the discretion of the office staff.
Our bathrooms will be limited to emergency use only; helping increase office cleanliness, reduce potential exposures to other patients, and reduce the burden of staff who will have to fully sanitize bathrooms following each use. Use of our bathrooms will be at the discretion of our office staff. We apologize for the inconvenience, it is temporary but important to follow during this time.
Should you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to call our office at 203-866-5020.
