In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, for your safety, we are equipping our operatories with a negative air pressure room, updating our already strict infection control with the new recommendations of the CDC, OSHA and the ADA.
We are also extending our office hours to accommodate the emergency needs of our patients:
Monday, and Tuesday 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM, Wednesday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Thursday, Friday 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and Sunday 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Open Letter to our Patients:
Dear Patients and Friends,
We are very pleased to announce that we are once again seeing patients.
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
As of now, as mandated by New York State we are available for dental emergencies, and anticipate that routine dental visits will be allowed by mid-June.
As the health of our patients is our biggest priority, we have taken many precautions to ensure a comfortable and safe environment while also maintaining the highest standards of care. As always, we are committed to maintaining the highest levels of infection control in line with the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.
We are also proud to announce that we have instituted a series of guidelines unique to our office, some that go beyond the recommendations. This is being done to ensure that our patients are as safe as possible. These guidelines include screening every patient prior to their appointment, and asking that our patients arrive to their appointments wearing a mask. On arrival, we screen our patients a second time, take their temperature, and ask them to wash their hands. As a bonus, there is no waiting in the waiting room.
If a patient may have had an exposure to COVID-19, we offer an antibody/antigen test that can be read in house within 15 minutes. Additionally, we have upgraded our personal protective equipment, and now wear a 3M PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator System) and medically appropriate protective equipment.
Once the appointment begins, our patients step into our new state of the art Negative Pressure Room, which is equipped with an industrial strength HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration system, this is the same type of system used in hospitals that currently treat COVID-19 patients. This system ensures that the air is cleaned of possible infectious material and filtered out of the room, the air in the room is replaced every 3 minutes with fresh filtered air. The system features an intake vent that is situated right above the patient treatment location, this allows for the aerosol produced during treatment, to be immediately vacuumed out of the room, filtered and extracted out of the office.
After patients are treated, the room is further cleaned and disinfected. We have also equipped our rooms with room HEPA filter machines running around the clock.
Additionally, we are offering brand new tele dentistry services, which will allow us to assess and treat patients in a virtual setting without them having to leave the comfort of their homes and without any unnecessary exposure. The safety, health and comfort are of our biggest priorities, and we look forward to continuing to serve our patients and provide the highest level of care.
Dr. Chana Perl