Dear Patients & Families of Pediatric Dentistry at Vinings,
There was no way to predict the unprecedented pandemic striking our country and world. Our way of life was abruptly and unceremoniously interrupted without warning. But we are a strong nation of people and we will work together to overcome the surreal circumstances presented by the coronavirus pandemic.
Since 2006, we have dedicated our lives to “creating a generation of kids who love going to the dentist”. That dedication has not wavered one bit. Safety protocols caused by the pandemic forced us to temporarily close our doors, but our resolve has remained steadfast. We are happy to say that the wait is over!
Beginning the first week of June, our office will officially reopen so we can resume providing your children and family quality dental care. We have been closely monitoring all recommendations and mandates from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the American Dental Association (ADA), state and local governments to ensure we are taking every necessary precaution to prevent any exposure to COVID-19 in our dental practice.
While our office has been closed, Dr. Bates has been very busy reviewing evidence-based guidelines for restarting dental practices. This wealth of information is continually changing, and Dr. Bates is as up-to-date as possible. We will be following rigorous scheduling protocols and office measures to ensure the safety and well-being of you, our patients, and the team members at Pediatric Dentistry at Vinings.
We ask for your patience. Due to the pandemic, we were unable to see over 2,000 patients that had scheduled appointments, and we know there is a strong desire to get your treatment back on track as soon as possible. Additionally, we have had to adjust our scheduling and distancing protocols to comply with new guidelines. This has resulted in less available appointment times than normal. In early 2020, we converted to a new appointment messaging system which allows for 2-way text messaging! This is our preferred method of communication so that we can handle the large number of appointment requests. Phone calls and voice messages will be returned; however, we strongly urge you to send a text to (678) 305-1090.
PATIENTS WITH APPOINTMENTS POSTPONED FROM MARCH TO MAY
Each child that was on the schedule is still in our system, we will be working diligently to identify appointment slots for them as soon as we can. Please let us know if you wish to be added to the schedule in the near future, or if you choose to wait until a later date. (Send Text message).
PATIENTS WITH AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED IN JUNE AND JULY
You will receive a text from us of your appointment date. Please let us know ASAP whether you would like to keep the appointment or if you want to reschedule for a later date. (Send Text message).
Below is an outline of some of our updated safety guidelines and practices. Please read them carefully as you prepare to set an appointment.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
If your child is sick, please do not bring them to the appointment.
If there have been any changes in your home address, email address, mobile number, employer, and/or INSURANCE carrier, please inform us of this prior to arriving. This will minimize the wait time in our reduced waiting area.
Upon confirmation of your appointment, you will receive a link to complete a COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire which needs to be completed within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment time. We will be asking the following questions about the patient and their accompanying guardian. If the answer to any of these questions is “YES”, the patient will need to reschedule their appointment for at least three (3) weeks out. Our office staff will assist in the rescheduling process.
- Has your child or anyone in your household been exposed to anyone who has tested positive for, or is suspected to have, COVID-19?
- Has your child or accompanying guardian traveled internationally in the last 14 days?
- Does your child or accompanying guardian currently have, or have they had in the last three days a fever of 100.4 or higher, or are they exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness?
UPON ARRIVAL FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT
● Please plan to be on time for your appointment as we will try to minimize the wait time and maintain distancing guidelines. For these reasons, we may reschedule the appointment for any family who is excessively late to arrive.
● Please limit the number of people coming to the appointment to the patient(s) and one parent or guardian.
● Everyone entering the dental office will have their temperature taken. No exceptions. If a fever temperature greater than 100.4 is present in any member of the family, we will reschedule the appointment(s).
○ Rescheduling requirements are at least three (3) weeks after showing high temperature, and
○ At least 24 hours without a high temperature without the assistance of fever reducing medicine.
● Everyone entering the practice will be required to wear a face covering as recommended by the CDC, and to sanitize their hands. We kindly ask that parents keep their mask on during the entire visit.
● During the appointment, one parent or guardian may accompany their child and must maintain social distancing from other patients who may be present.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR VISIT:
- Our smiling faces have returned, however, in addition to wearing surgical masks, we will also wear full face protective shields which may appear less comforting for the little ones. Please reassure them that we live by our mission statement which is:
Creating a generation of kids who LOVE going to the dentist!
- You will also notice that our teeth cleaning procedure has been altered to minimize producing splatter.
OUR SANITATION PROTOCOLS
Here at PDAV, we have always practiced Standard Precautions as recommended by the CDC and OSHA. We have also adopted new CDC recommendations specifically to minimize exposure to the coronavirus. Here is what we are doing to ensure patient health is protected throughout the visit:
● We sanitize our social/common areas such as the waiting room seating, check-in and check-out area, tables, door handles, and other hard surfaces.
● We will thoroughly clean each clinical room including wiping down all potential areas of contact, such as doorknobs, chairs, and equipment with medical grade disinfectant wipes between each patient.
● Our team is being extremely vigilant about regular hand washing and frequent use of hand sanitizer between each patient encounter, as is standard for our practice.
● We have doubled down on our training protocols. Doctors, hygienists, and clinical staff have been trained in the proper use of personal protective equipment to include masks, shields, goggles, gloves, and gowns per the CDC recommendations for direct health care facilities.
● We are taking temperatures two (2) times a day for all team members and instruct any team member who presents with a temperature of or over 100.4 or feels ill to return home.
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR PATIENTS AGAIN!
Our team will be reaching out to you over the coming days and weeks to schedule and reschedule appointments. Please be patient with us as we work to contact patients, confirm appointments, and get missed appointments back on the schedule.
We are so grateful for every one of our patients, and this time away has only served to make us even more thankful for each of you. You are the life-force of our practice, and this is why we are taking your safety VERY seriously. Please understand we are focusing on getting each of you back on track with your estimated treatment completion time.
Warmly,
Dr. Faith N. Bates and all the Staff at Pediatric Dentistry at Vinings
