07/06/2020
Dear Patients:
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community, and the entire world, have been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice as we follow the recommendations set out by Public Health Ontario, the Ministry of Health, the Canadian Dental Association and the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. We do this to make sure our infection control procedures are current so as to keep you and your family safe.
You will see many changes when it is time for your next appointment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these changes have been recommended by our governing bodies to help protect our patients, our staff and society.
Here are examples of what you will see and experience:
-You must have a scheduled appointment to enter the office so walk-ins will not be accepted at this time.
-The day before your appointment, you will receive an email with a link to an online COVID-19 screening questionnaire. This must be completed prior to your appointment so as to keep sick, or potentially sick, persons out of the office.
-On the day of your appointment you will receive a text from us. Please make a note of our texting phone number: 289 804-6859.
-Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.
-Call to let us know that you have arrived. We will verbally confirm the same screening questions.
-You will be asked to wait in your car until we text or call you in to the office.
-We ask that you keep your personal belongings in the car.
-In order to practise social distancing, we ask that you come into the office alone and those persons accompanying you remain in the car.
-You will need to enter the office wearing a mask. If you do not have one, one will be provided.
-Your temperature will be taken. Anyone with a fever or other symptoms will be asked to contact their health care provider and to reschedule their appointment to keep everyone safe.
-You will be asked to use the hand sanitizer and then be escorted directly to your treatment room. There will be no waiting in the reception room.
-Our reception area will no longer offer magazines and children’s toys since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
-Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment or be asked to reschedule previously scheduled appointments. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
-We will do our best to allow greater time between patients so as to reduce wait times for you.
-All surfaces that come in contact with patients, as well as high-touch common areas, will be cleaned and disinfected multiple times throughout the day.
-All staff members are screened daily for COVID-19, have their temperature taken and be required to wear personal protective equipment.
-You may be surprised to find that staff members will be wearing masks and face shields and other personal protective equipment that may make it difficult for you to recognize us. Rest assured, it is still the same friendly faces under there!
-Once seated, you will be asked to rinse to reduce the concentration of microorganisms in the mouth.
-Once procedures begin, the same care, gentleness and thoroughness that you have come to expect from us will be there for you.
-Your appointment may take a little longer but these measures have been put in place to ensure your safety and wellbeing.
-Washroom use will be limited and only available for those in urgent need as they will be disinfected after each use.
-To expedite your exit, we may schedule your next appointment while you are being treated –if it is not suitable, we ask that you phone or email to change it
-We are not accepting cash at this time –please be prepared to pay with credit or debit cards –if you would like for us to keep a credit card on file, please let us know
We look forward to welcoming back our entire team who has kept in touch during the closure. Some will be back to their regular schedules and some on a limited basis for now due to family commitments. Lori, our long time hygienist, has decided to retire. We wish her the very best in this new chapter and thank her for all her years dedicated to the profession of dental hygiene and to the care of her patients. She will be sorely missed by you and especially by us.
We have missed seeing all of you and we look forward to reconnecting at your next visit. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we have taken to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice.
If you feel that your dental concerns may be addressed over the phone or by a teleconference and thereby avoid an in-person visit, please contact us to set up a phone or virtual meeting.
On Monday, June 29, we reopened and are now scheduling patients. Priority will be given to those persons in urgent need and to those whose appointments were cancelled during our closure.
To make an appointment, please call our office at 905 278-5972, email us at mail@lorneparkdental.com or visit our website at www.lorneparkdental.com
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbours and friends.
Warm regards,
Your entire team at Lorne Park Dental Associates
