05/08/2020
Dear First Smiles Dental Patients & Parents,
COVID-19 has presented a very difficult time for all of us. Many of you have been forced to wait for dental care, and we deeply appreciate your understanding while we kept our office closed to help control the spread of the virus.
We are happy to say that we are tentatively planning to reopen our office, on a limited, much smaller scale, for patient treatment on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Our hours of operation will be 8 am – 2:30 pm. Please also note that this date is subject to change.
Your health and well-being continue to be our highest priority, and we are ONLY opening because we have carefully planned and revised our office procedures to greatly minimize the risk of infection for our patients and our team members. Our own families are also patients here, so you can be assured that we’ll be taking care of you just as well as we’ll be taking care of them.
For your peace of mind, the measures we will be taking to provide a safe dental treatment experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
Upon Your Arrival at the Office
● Patients will be screened BEFORE entering the office and temperatures will be checked. Any patients showing signs of a fever or other symptoms of illness will be asked to reschedule their appointment.
● ONLY patients will be allowed entry into the office. Parents and other family members will be asked to wait outside whenever possible.
● Patients are asked to wait in their cars or outside the office until their scheduled appointment time.
● The waiting area chairs will be spaced apart to allow for 6 feet of distancing.
● You, as well as, the patient will be asked to wear masks prior to entering the building. The mask should be provided by you, the parent/guardian or patient.
● We will ask that you continue to practice social distancing measures in common areas of the office, including the front desk.
● There will be no physical contact with patients except for treatment.
● If your child is scheduled for a cleaning, the necessary forms will be emailed to you prior to your appointment or you may retrieve the form from our website (www.firstsmilesdentalofcamden.com). Please complete the form(s) and return them to us via the fax at (803) 432-3368 or email address at [email protected].
During Treatment
● All rooms will be COMPLETELY sterilized before each patient is seated, and public areas, including restrooms, will be cleaned and sterilized frequently throughout the day.
● All operatories have high-volume air filtration and purification units. The units are capable of removing particles smaller than COVID-19 virus.
● Our team will STRICTLY follow guidelines set forth by the CDC, OSHA, and ADA regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) and office sterilization.
● During patient care, goggles or face shields will be worn by everyone and changed between patients.
● All surfaces that come into contact with the patient will be wiped with disinfectant, including the patient chair and the accessory chair where the patient placed their personal items and/or coat hanger.
Checking Out After Your Appointment
● Clear panels will be in place at the front desk to protect against sneeze droplets from either side.
● After every transaction, the checkout desk and glass will be wiped with a disinfectant.
● Our office will no longer accept cash or checks as a form of payment. Please be prepared to make any payments with either a debit or credit card.
We are proceeding with an abundance of caution, but we want you to feel as confident as we do that any visit you make to our office will be a safe one.
If you have any questions about your next visit, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 803-432-3338.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
