Just a few months ago, before your appointment, all that your dental team had to do was wash their hands and put on a fresh mask and pair of gloves. These days, thanks to COVID-19, your dentist in Gorham has to do a whole lot more. There’s a lot that goes into preparing for every single appointment. Here are some of the safety precautions that your dental team takes to get ready for your visit and minimize your risk of infection.
Safety Champion
Each day, a different member of your dentist’s team will be randomly selected to be that day’s “safety champion.” That person will spend the day being in charge of tasks like enforcing social distancing, fielding questions, greeting patients, and generally monitoring the office to make sure it’s staying safe.
Daily Health Checks of Staff
Every member of your dentist’s team will be given a health evaluation to complete every morning when they arrive at work. They will answer questions about their recent health and whether they have any coronavirus-like symptoms. If they do, they will be promptly sent home.
Changing Work Clothes at Work
Recent studies have confirmed that by changing into scrubs at home, healthcare professionals can bring in germs from home into the office, thus infecting patients and other workers. For this reason, your dental team will be changing into and out of their work clothes at the office.
Additional PPE
These days, it’s not enough to wear a face mask and gloves. Instead, your dentist and their clinical team will be wearing extra PPE (personal protective equipment) such as double face masks, face shields, surgical gowns, and shoe coverings to provide extra protection against potential germs.
Pre-Screening of Every Patient
Before you enter the treatment area, a member of your dentist’s staff will ask you similar questions that they ask the other staff members, which are related to your recent health. This is to make sure that all patients who enter the practice are healthy.
Your dentist and their team care greatly about your health and safety, which is why they do so much more than they used to in order to prepare for your visit. For more information about the additional precautions your dentist is taking, go on their website.
About the Author
Dr. Ted Morgan has been a dentist in Gorham for more than 45 years. He strives to make all of his patients as comfortable as possible, which is why he adheres to all of the practices described above and more. To learn more about how he can make your appointment as stress-free and germ-free as possible, visit his website.