There is no doubt that the COVID-19 outbreak has changed all of our lives, including our daily routines.  As we all continue to deal with COVID-19 and its social and business restrictions, our Calgary Dentist wants to assure you that our office continues to do its part to help bend the curve and strictly adhere to all COVID-19 protocols and procedures both mandated and recommended by the Alberta Dental Association & College, the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services.  If you have not been to our Calgary dentist office since the beginning of COVID-19, here is what you can expect at your next visit to our dental office.

 

Pre-Screening For COVID-19

In accordance with guidelines issued by the Alberta Dental Association & College, our Calgary dentist office endeavours to screen all patients for COVID-19 symptoms at least twice prior to their dental appointment.  You will be asked to complete your first screening the day before your Calgary dentist appointment.  This screening will be done either on a simple to use online form, or, if you prefer, over the telephone.  This screening will ask whether you have any of the core COVID-19 symptoms, whether you have travelled outside of the country in the last two weeks or whether you have been a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. If at this time you indicate that you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is suspected to be COVID-19 positive, we will ask that you kindly reschedule your dentist appointment according to the timelines established by the Alberta government COVID-19.

 

The Day of Your Dental Appointment

On the day of your Calgary dentist appointment, if anything has changed since the day before such as waking up with a sore throat or runny nose, we ask that you kindly contact our office to reschedule your appointment in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Alberta government.  If you are unsure whether you should be rescheduling your dental appointment, please refer to the Alberta Government website or contact our office.

Upon arrival at our Calgary dentist office, in accordance with the mandatory rules established by the Government of Alberta, we ask that you kindly wear your face covering.  We also ask that you come to your Calgary dentist appointment alone, unless you are accompanying a minor child or are a caregiver to a patient who requires assistance.  Please be advised that all escorts will be asked to also complete a COVID-19 screening form and participate in our COVID-19 screening protocol to ensure all of our dental patients and dental team members are as safe as possible.

When you arrive inside our building, you will note that the door to our office will be locked.  We have locked the door in order to be able to carefully control the flow of both patients and visitors to our office.  When space allows in our dental reception area, you will be welcomed into our dentist office by one of our team members.  At this time, you will again be a screened for COVID-19 symptoms, provided hand sanitizer and have your temperature taken with a no-contact thermometer.  As our Calgary dentist office is making all efforts to him to control patient and visit her flow in the office, when it is safe to do so, you will be escorted directly into the dental operatory where you will continue to wear your mask until it is time for your dental procedure.  Prior to your dental procedure, you will again be screened by one of our team members for COVID-19 symptoms.    

 

Continued Infection Prevention and Control Protocols at Our Calgary Dentist Office

To ensure that your visit to our Calgary dentist office is as safe as possible, our dental team members continue to follow all enhanced infection prevention and control protocols recommended by the Alberta Dental Association & College and Alberta Health Services. These protocols and procedures include the following:

 

• Wiping all high touch surfaces such as countertops, credit card terminals and door handles frequently and between all patients
• Taking and recording our team members’ temperature twice per day
• Screening all team members daily for COVID-19 symptoms
• Placing air filtration units in every operatory
• Controlling the flow of patients and visitors in and around the office
• Wearing additional personal protective equipment, including caps, face shields and gowns during dental procedures
• Continuous mask wearing by all Calgary dentist team members
• Placing a plastic shield at the reception desk
• Having all patients and visitors remain at least two meters apart from each other

 

In order to accommodate patients who may be at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 or who may simply feel more comfortable attending their Calgary dentist appointment at a time when there are less patients and team members at the office, we are pleased to provide special appointment times, including on week-ends, evenings or early mornings.  Our Calgary dentist also has a fully enclosed dental operatory which is available for those who request same.

Although at the beginning of COVID-19 Calgary dentists were restricted in the type of dental work that could be provided to patients, at this time those restrictions have for the most part been relaxed and we are now able to provide all dental procedures to our patients including cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry, preventative dentistry such as dental hygiene cleanings, sedation dentistry and emergency dentistry procedures.

There is no doubt that this has been a challenging year for everyone.  Our Calgary dentist assures our patients that we continue to take all mandatory and recommended precautions to ensure that all dental services are delivered to our patients as safely as possible while at the same time protecting our team members and community. Your dental health is an important element of your overall health and our Calgary dentist encourages you to continue with all regular check-ups, dental cleanings and dental treatment.  

 If you have any concerns about receiving dental treatment while COVID-19 remains in our communities, we invite you to contact our Calgary dentist office at 403.283.4252 and one of our friendly and dedicated team members would be happy to answer any questions you may have.  As always, our dental team is here for you and your family.

 

 

Please be advised that this blog post by our Calgary dentist, Dr. Dirk Thompson, D.D.S., is for informational purposes only.  It is not to be taken or used as a substitute for dental, medical or other professional advice, treatment or diagnosis.  Always ask your dentist, physician or other healthcare professional for advice before altering your diet or healthcare routine.  Individual patient needs and oral healthcare concerns vary so please consult your dentist for more informtion about your specific dental health requirements.

 

Copyright 2021: Dirk A. Thompson Professional Corporation operating as Advance Your Health Dental.  Dr. Dirk A. Thompson, D.D.S., is a general dentist in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

 

************************************************************************************************************

 

General Dentistry | Emergency Dentist | Cosmetic Dentistry | Sedation Dentistry | Dental Hygiene | Implant Dentistry