Covid-19 Protocol

Our community has been through a lot during the coronavirus crisis, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice as you may have seen during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are structured so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe, as well as some additional precautions related to Covid-19.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agency’s recommendations.

If you have any symptoms, including fever, cough, or shortness of breath, do NOT come to the office. Call first to discuss your dental issue, and call your medical provider.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.

• Please arrive with a face covering.
• Our office will communicate with you before your appointment to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you arrive for your appointment. We will also check your temperature (contactless).
• We will have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• Please limit extra companions when you come to the office, except where absolutely necessary, such as a parent/legal guardian of a minor, or a healthcare aide.
• Teledentistry visits, via phone or Skype, will continue to be available.
• Walk-ins will not be accepted for the foreseeable future.
• Continuous cleaning/disinfection of reception and all common areas. Treatment areas are disinfected thoroughly after ever patient. (As has always been the case).
• Several powerful, medical-grade, air purification units.
• High-speed extra-oral chairside suction devices, to minimize aerosol production during procedures.
• Our reception area will not contain magazines, coffee, bottled water or baked goods.
• Our massage chair ‘Relaxation Room” will not be available.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 718-965-6298.

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Sincerely,
Dr. Frank Sapienza and Team