The Coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed our normalcy in every industry around the world. As a professional general dentistry in the McLean, VA area, we are following the CDC guidelines and the Forward Virginia phased approach to ensure the safety of our staff, dentists, and patients.
At McLean Family Dentistry, we will continue to maintain the health and safety of our team and patients during this time. We want to make sure you have access to the highest level of general dentistry care while remaining safe. To ensure you receive direct care under strict safety guidelines, we are happy to provide you distance appointments and online check-ups.
Here’s an overview of our COVID-19 Safety and Preparedness Plan:
Availability & Patient Management
On top of the primary recommendations for limiting the spread and contraction of the virus, we are limiting exposure of our staff and patients within our dental office. The following policies below adhere to the CDC guidelines and may affect our overall availability but it is the closest we are able to get to our normal operations, as everyone’s safety remains our #1 priority.
- Prior to each patient’s appointment, we will be implementing a screening to ensure they are not exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 and that their dental conditions do require immediate and non-elective treatment. Our employees will receive the same screening to further limit the spread of the virus.
- We have adjusted our office layout to follow proper social distancing procedures. Due to this change, our waiting room chairs are placed six feet apart from each other and we have also removed frequently-touched objects, including toys and magazines.
- To effectively reduce patient-contact between other visiting patients, we will ensure our appointment schedule refrains from as little patient overlap between every appointment.
Protective Equipment
Our dental practice adheres to the strict PPE guidelines provided by the CDC. We wear the clinical attire, surgical masks, and gloves within the office. We wear these as we perform administrative tasks and patient screenings prior to their appointments.
Our dentists will also wear additional PPE:
- Face shields
- Eye Protection
- Gloves
- Clinical gowns
Depending on the procedures being performed, our team may wear additional protective equipment as well. For procedures involving aerosol generators, our dentists are required to use face shields or higher grade face masks like the N95 respirator.
Administrative and Dental Work Practices
In addition to adjusting our dental procedures, our administrative duties have changed as well. Our staff will properly store our equipment and resources that aren’t necessary during a given appointment. All resources necessary for a patient procedure will be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.
Our dentists may limit the type of procedures they are performing in order to limit themselves from contracting the virus. For instance, the CDC recommends to limit the amount of aerosol-generating procedures as much as possible. This will help reduce the amount of droplet spatter produced from aerosol techniques and procedures.
Choose Professional and Friendly General Dentistry Practitioners in McLean, VA
McLean Family Dentistry will continue to remain as flexible as we can with our patients to ensure they are receiving the quality general dentistry services they need. We will follow any updates provided by the CDC and other world health organizations to ensure the safety of our staff and patients. Our staff has been trained to serve your dental needs during this time and we look forward to your next visit!
Schedule your next appointment online today! Contact our general dentistry office at (703) 991-6224 for any questions or concerns you may have.