Letter to our Patients
The best way to reduce panic is to reduce or eliminate the unknown. In an effort to help my team, my patients, and everyone else in our community I am posting this link to the CDC (national Center for Disease Control) that describes how COVID-19 actually spreads and efforts we can take to reduce the risk of exposure to ourselves and spreading the virus to others.
Please understand that while we are taking this concern very seriously and will be taking additional precautions above and beyond our usual stringent measures to keep our facility a safe and healthy environment we want to spread knowledge and reduce the sense of fear that comes along with the unknown.
The CDC and the World Health Organization have confirmed that this is a virus primarily spread through airborne droplets and that there is minimal risk of transmission through fomites (pathogenic particles found in dirt or droplets on contaminated surfaces). However, since the threat level of transmission through surface contact may be proven higher than currently suspected we will be taking measures to disinfect rather than just clean the common (non-clinical) areas of our facility along with the usual disinfection of our clinical areas frequently throughout the day.
Much more important than how we will be wiping down surfaces is how we are asking our own team members and our patients to help us prevent the spread of this as well as any other illness and protect our patients, many of whom fall into a high-risk category if infected by COVID-19.
If you don’t feel well or have been around another who has been sick and maybe carrying COVID-19 or any number of other illnesses, please don’t come in.
During the period of this period of heightened measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and indefinitely from here on we will not charge any fee for any patient that calls to cancel prior to their scheduled appointment (including the day of the appointment) due to legitimate illness. Frankly, I have never charged anyone for calling to cancel when they were sick in the past, but now I want to emphasize that I would much prefer to keep my other patients, my team, and myself safe and avoid exposure to any illness.
I understand that due to recent closures (of schools, universities, etc.) some of you may have childcare concerns that may make it difficult to keep already scheduled appointments. Please call our office at 303-422-0836 to reschedule your care. There will be no cancelation fees for changing your appointment for any reason during this unusual situation.
Also, due to these unusual circumstances please understand that my team’s availability may change, and we may need to call you to reschedule your routine hygiene visit or other visits of non-urgent nature. If you are scheduled for any urgent care (treatment of decay, infection of a tooth, fractured tooth, or infection of the gums at this time we will still be able to care for you and prevent the problem from getting worse.
I will continue to operate with hours as close to normal as events will allow and will reach out to our patients on a weekly basis, or as changes in the situation require. My intention is to continue to deliver the best dental care in the safest manner possible as I have always done for my patients and my team.
Please visit the link below to understand the ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and most other diseases.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
With Gratitude for all of you who offer me the privilege of providing your dental care,
