In response to Governor Holcomb’s mask advisory effective April 6, 2021:
1. Our team will not be required to wear a mask when they are behind the plexiglass shields at the front desk.
2. Any person in the clinical area will be required to wear a mask, except for patients seated in an exam chair. Keep in mind that there can be 6 to 8 patients in our clinic at any one time with their mouth open. We will continue to do all that we can to protect them.
3. If you chose to be seated in our reception area, wearing a mask will be optional. We realize that some of you have received the vaccine, have antibodies, or have conditions that make wearing a mask difficult. We will respect your decision to wear or not to wear a mask. If you chose to wear a mask, we will do our best to reciprocate in kind when speaking to you within a reasonable distance.
4. We will not be returning the reception area to its prior seating capacity, so for your comfort, it will be best if you limit the number of family members in the office. Parents will be invited to the clinic per the protocols below, siblings should be supervised and remain in the reception area or your vehicle.
5. We ask that you contact us prior to any appointments, if the patient or any family member has COVID symptoms or has tested positive within the last 2 weeks.
6. You can send the patient into the office when you arrive; you no longer need to wait for a text message from our office.
7. We will take temperatures at the front desk for all patients and anyone remaining inside the building. We will also ask you to use hand sanitizer.
8. We will continue to follow the appointment protocols that were put in place last year.
– During most 20 to 30 minute check or repair appointments, parents will not be invited to the clinic.
-During 30 to 80 minute appointments that do not involve local anesthetic, parents will be invited to the chair only when the doctor is present. During the remainder of the appointment, the parents can remain in the reception area or vehicle.
-Procedures involving local anesthetic (i.e. extractions of primary teeth, lasers, temporary anchorage device placements, etc.) For parents, your presence chairside during these appointments should be dictated by individual patient needs, considering all levels of anxiety, patient age and maturity. We have found that some highly anxious patients do best in the absence of parents. We have also noticed that some feel grounded and secure when a parent is present. We will guide you on what we feel is best.
-Many of the appointments involving local anesthetic dovetail with a shorter procedure. Instructions will be given at the completion of the first portion of the appointment. It is encouraged that after instructions are given, the parent return to the car or to the reception area to wait for the completion of the remainder of the appointment.
We thank you for your partnership with us over the past year and into the future as we work to keep your family and our team safe and healthy.
Ok thank you for letting me know