To our valued patients,

We are happy to announce we are back to seeing regular patients starting the week of May 4th 2020!

Due to the changes made to our society by the Coronavirus, we are changing the way we see patients as well. The safety of our patients and staff has always been the highest priority to our practice. Moving forward, safety will continue to be our highest priority. Because of this we have made the following changes to our office:

• Limiting appointments: We will see fewer patients each day to allow time for each patient to enter and leave our office without unnecessary interactions with other patients.
• Longer appointment times: We have added time between appointments to allow operatories to sit after every procedure to let any aerosols settle before we disinfect those surfaces.
• Virtual Waiting Room: We ask that our patients wait in their cars upon arrival, and notify us via text or phone call that they are here.
• Paperwork online: We will ask you to update your health history, and patient information online before your appointment.
• Only the patient and guardian for children will be allowed in the office during your appointment.

Because of the changes we are making, we will be in contact with many patients to reschedule existing appointments to other days or times than previously scheduled. As we contact you, we ask that you keep the following in mind:

• Urgency of your appointment: If you have pre-existing conditions such as periodontal disease, heart disease, or other conditions that are heavily impacted by your regular cleaning appointment, we have allotted time specifically to prioritize your appointments and will schedule you as soon as possible.
• Additionally, we ask that those with less urgent needs be patient with us as we re-schedule the appointments we postponed for the last month and a half that may be more urgent. We have also opened up Fridays for hygiene appointments to accommodate as many patients as possible for the next month.
• Patients who are over 65, or have other factors that put you at a higher risk for contracting the Coronavirus such as Asthma, or other imuno-compromising conditions that put you at a higher risk should consult their physicians before scheduling an appointment at our office. (See the full list of conditions mentioned by the Centers for Disease Control here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html).
• If your physician recommends that you do come in for a cleaning despite these medical conditions, we have set aside appointment times first thing in the morning to limit the exposure to other patients and aerosols in our office.

When we do schedule your appointment, please be prepared to do the following upon arriving to our office:

• Have your temperature taken. If your temperature is above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, we will not be able to see you for your appointment. If you think there is a chance you may have a temperature above this on the day of your appointment, we recommend checking your temperature at home before you come in. We are more than happy to reschedule your appointment at short notice over the phone.
• Sign a liability waiver: The waiver is posted on all entrances to our office and, in summary, states that you do not have symptoms associated with COVID-19, have not been in contact with anyone with symptoms of COVID-19. If you answer yes to any of the questions putting you at risk for COVID-19, we will need to postpone your appointment. The waiver also releases Draper Family Dentistry from any liability of you contracting COVID-19 in our office due to the potential of an increased risk associated with aerosols – which many dental procedures produce. See the full waiver here: dental-treatment-consent-form-covid-19-pandemic.pdf.
• Be prepared for extended wait times: We are doing our best to accurately schedule appointment times, but are prioritizing limits on the number of patients in the building at one time for the safety of our patients and staff. Because of this, you may end up waiting in your car for longer than anticipated.
• Sanitize or wash your hands upon entering and exiting our office.

We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment, and hope you stay healthy and safe in the meantime!