Latest Updates Regarding COVID-19 And Our Office

 

For the past several weeks we have been closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 as it has moved through the world and into our own neighborhoods. As health care providers, our primary concern is the safety and health of our patients, our team and our community. We have been following the CDC, WHO, and federal and state recommendations to guide us in our care for our patients. Over the last couple of days, dental boards across the country—including the American Dental Association, the Maryland State Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentists issued specific recommendations for dental practices to help limit the spread of the virus.  The main message coming across from these organizations is that dentistry needs to do its part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Following these recommendations, and with an abundance of caution, we have decided to suspend all non-emergency care for the next three weeks, through Sunday, April 5^th.  This date is subject to change, as the current state of things is very fluid.  We have not taken this decision lightly, but we feel it is the most prudent action to take to ensure the health and safety of our patients and Quince Orchard Dental Teams.

 

If you have an appointment in this time frame, we will contact you to reschedule your appointment. Some specialized time-sensitive care will continue during this alteration in our schedule. Crown Deliveries, Pediatric (extraction), Orthodontic (broken brackets or pain), Endodontic (root canal), and Periodontic/Oral Surgery (extraction) patients may still be seen. Feel free to call us with questions or concerns about any upcoming appointments you may have.  

 

As was stated we are suspending all non-critical care, but will be on call if you have a dental emergency. Please call the office if you feel that you have a dental emergency for instructions on how to reach a particular dentist on call. We will have members of our team taking calls and answering emails from 9am to 3pm weekdays.  If you have a non-emergency concern or would like to schedule an appointment, you may call the office to speak to a member of our team or leave a message after hours and someone will return your call at the earliest opportunity.

 

For emergency patients who will be coming in to the office we will continue to follow CDC, WHO, federal and state guidelines and keep our office open to care for patients.  As always, we will practice universal precautions with masks, eye protection and gloves.  As always, we will be thoroughly sterilizing all of our instruments and disinfecting all surfaces in the treatment area between patients.  Remember, proper hand washing is the best defense against the spread of COVID-19 from person to person.  

 

We will use the next few week to deep clean our practice and prepare our team for when we reopen. For those of you with upcoming appointments and for all our patients after April 6th, please read the following update to our practice policies:

 

If the patient or any member of the family has been recently ill (fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath), please reschedule your appointment.

 

If the patient or a family member has had direct or indirect contact with someone who has traveled to an affected national or international area within the past 14 days, please let us know and call to reschedule your appointment.

 

Except for our youngest patients, we will ask that the patient is the only member of the family to come back to the treatment area, and that other family members wait in the car if possible or in the waiting room.

 

In order to reduce the amount of people in our waiting room, please do not arrive EARLY to your appointment.  If you do get to the office ahead of schedule, please wait in the car until the appointed time, or call the office and we will tell you if we can take you any earlier than scheduled.

 

If in the waiting room, please try to keep 6-10 feet from other people at all times.

 

All adult and capable younger patients will be rinsing with 1% hydrogen peroxide rinse before each appointment.

 

We will ask all patients to take their temperature upon entering the practice and to thoroughly wash hands before and after treatment.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and ask for your patience as we will do our best to serve you in the limited capacity that we are able.

 

Please stay safe, stay healthy and come visit as soon as we reopen!

 

Kindly,

 

Quince Orchard Dental Care and Quince Orchard Dental Specialists