It’s with great joy that Dr. Saylor and his staff are able to welcome patients back for regular dental appointments beginning on May 11. We hope that you are smiling through these difficult times and are eager to see you and address your dental needs.
Over the last several weeks, we have seen patients for dental emergencies only, and have been extremely cautious during our limited office hours. Our goal has been, and will continue to be, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while caring for patients’ dental health.
We understand that until a vaccine is approved, the threat of COVID-19 still exists in our community. As we reopen the office for routine dental procedures and teeth cleanings, we plan to follow both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines to protect our patients and staff.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is our number one priority as we welcome patients back. As such, you’ll notice a few changes at your next appointment.
- You will be screened before your appointment. When you make your next dentist appointment, our staff will ask a number of questions to help screen for patients who may have coronavirus. These include questions about your physical symptoms, contact with individuals who may be infected and recent travels. If negative, you will be scheduled within two weeks. If positive, you will be scheduled within four weeks. For those patients with an appointment already on the calendar, our staff will call you prior to your appointment to complete the screening. When you arrive, we will also take your temperature and ask that you wash your hands. Our staff will then ask you the same set of questions to ensure that nothing has changed since our last communication. If you have a temperature, or present with any symptoms of coronavirus, we will ask that you reschedule your appointment.
- We will limit the number of people in the office. As a small dental practice, we have always been mindful of seeing one patient at a time. In this new opening, we will take this one step further and schedule fewer appointments at once to limit the number of people in the office. Please bear with us as we reschedule existing appointments and try to get you on the schedule as quickly as possible. We also ask that you come to your appointment alone. If you need a ride due to sedation, or other extenuating circumstances, your loved one will be required to wait outside. Our staff will safely escort you to the car after your appointment to ensure you exit safely.
- We will limit your time and contact in the office. When you arrive, we ask that you text or call our staff at 813-689-4226 to let them know that you are here. When we are ready to see you, a staff member will come get you and escort you into the office and to your designated exam room. As you enter, you will not be required to touch any doors or door handles, to further limit your contact with surfaces in our office. We have also asked our staff to limit the amount of socialization during appointments to help get patients in and out quickly and safely. Please understand that we are not trying to rush and you will still receive the same level of care. However, your safety and the safety of our staff is our top priority.
- All staff will be screened daily and outfitted in personal protective equipment (PPE). We understand that patients are not the only ones who can bring the virus into our office. As such, we will screen our staff daily by taking their temperature. All staff members, including front office staff, will also be required to wear PPE. While the smiles of our team will be hidden, we are still the same warm dental practice that you’ve always been used to.
We hope that you understand the changes we have put in place are intended to protect our patients and staff, while prioritizing your dental health and minimizing the risk of disease transition.
Our intention is to err on the side of caution as we navigate this challenging time. As things continue to change, these procedures will evolve. Our staff will remain on top of the latest guidelines from the CDC and ADA, and move toward normal operations as we see fit.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff. We are here for you, and we are eager to see you soon.
Thank you,
Dr. Saylor and Staff
