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Coronavirus Updates

Covid Update
4/29/20

We will be re-opening on May 4th.

We hope this email 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 at Lifetime Dental Health has remained the same: our constant commitment to your safety.

As you have surely seen during your visits to our office, infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. Our strict processes have consistently made the care you receive at Lifetime Dental Health both safe and comfortable.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We continue to closely monitor the recommendations of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

LIFETIME DENTAL HEALTH SAFETY PROTOCOLS:

  1. All patients will be screened by taking their temperature and given a list of questions to ensure that they are safe to enter our office.
  2. We have a Sterilization Team member that will ensure that we follow all of the OSHA and CDC guidelines. We have an Environmental Team member who will disinfect touchpoints, doorknobs, etc. in the office throughout the day.
  3. We have created social distancing in our reception area and strive to reduce wait times. We have our reception area set up with seating six feet apart.
  4. We have tissues or wipes for use for our elevator and public restroom buttons and handles.
  5. We have hand sanitizer stations in our office and will require the team and patients to sanitize upon entering and throughout the day.
  6. Our team will take all precautions to keep our patients safe with the sterilization and disinfection protocols outlined by the Center for Disease Control.
  7. Our team will wear all appropriate personal protective equipment to protect them as well as our patients.
  8. We have a one-way patient flow through in our office hallways to prevent passing each other and maintain social distancing.
  9. Every day our team will be screened for temperature and any COVID symptoms and logged.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 614-451-2234 or visit our website at https://lifetimedentalcolumbus.com/.

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends in the safest way possible.

Sincerely,
The Lifetime Dental Health Team

3/23/2020

Our office hours are:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 am – 1 pm.

We are only open for dental emergencies by appointment only. Call the mainline. Any emergencies after hours will be directed to Dr. Barry and Dr. Love.

To all our cherished patients,

Like so many of you, we have spent the last week learning about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it may be impacting our daily lives. At Lifetime Dental Health, the health and safety of our patients and employees is our top priority. The Governor and Ohio State Dental Board have asked us to limit services below as their recommendations.

COVID-19 Alert | Gov. DeWine recommends COVID-19 actions for dental offices

Governor Mike DeWine contacted the Ohio Dental Association and Ohio State Dental Board and asked for our help in addressing the spread of COVID-19. These recommendations to the dental profession are intended to reduce the risk of patients’ exposure to COVID-19 (coronavirus) to preserve Personal Protective Equipment and supplies, while still allowing access to necessary and emergency dental services that will maintain the oral health of the citizens of Ohio and keep them out of hospital Emergency Rooms.

Governor DeWine has requested the following: A review of inventories and identification of any surplus personal protective equipment and supplies. Once identified, contact your local Emergency Management Agency about sharing these goods with local hospitals and medical clinics for COVID-19 patients and clinicians. EMA contact list can be found here: https://webeoctraining.dps.ohio.gov/ohiocountyEMADirectorList/countyemalist_web.aspx

Please reschedule elective procedures including but not limited to:

  • Any cosmetic or aesthetic procedures, such as veneers, teeth bleaching, or cosmetic bonding
  • All routine hygiene appointments
  • Any orthodontic procedures not including those that relieve pain and infection or restore oral function or are trauma-related
  • Initiation of any crowns, bridges, or dentures that do not address or prevent pain or restore normal oral functioning
  • Any periodontal plastic surgery
  • Extraction of asymptomatic non-carious teeth
  • Recall visits for periodontally healthy patients
  • Delay all appointments for high risk patients, including ASA 2 and 3 patients, unless it is an emergency

By sharing supplies we are directly supporting our fellow clinicians as they undertake the greatest viral threat in modern history. By rescheduling elective procedures we are doing our part to prevent community spread.

We urge you to undertake the two above strategies and consider the following additional measures:

  • Use cell phone triage
    – use the cell phone to take a picture of the area and text to the dentist
  • Have a detailed questionnaire/conversation before scheduling appointments and prior to any procedure about flu like symptoms, travel abroad for self and family/friends/co-workers etc. to permit a thorough evaluation of the patient
  • Consider taking the temperature of the patient at the outset
  • Reconsider scheduling high risk patients unless they need emergency treatment
  • Careful evaluation of the need for scheduling of ASA 2 & 3 patients
  • Use of 1% hydrogen peroxide rinse prior to examination of the oral cavity by the patient to reduce microbial load
  • Use of rubber dam isolation & high volume suction to limit aerosol in treatment procedures
  • Proper disinfection protocol between patients with a possible repeat of the protocol for a 2nd time.

To prevent over-crowding of waiting areas or the possible spread of infection:

  • Consider having patients wait in their cars instead of the waiting areas to prevent inadvertent spread of the virus (call patient when surgical area is ready for treatment)
  • Consider staggering appointment times to reduce waiting room exposure · Consider rescheduling elective procedures on ASA 2 & 3 patients (https://www.asahq.org/standards-and-guidelines/asa-physical-status-classification-system)
  • Have front desk staff take measures to prevent exposure
  • Have sterilization staff, lab technicians and auxiliary staff take adequate measures to prevent exposure
  • Limit access to waiting room use to only patients. Accompanying individuals have to wait in their respective transportation.
  • Remove all magazines/toys etc from waiting area to prevent contamination.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during these difficult times. We will continue to provide resources and updates for dental offices as they become available.

Please call our office with any additional questions and thank you for your understanding.

Dr. Barry, Dr. Love & Lifetime Dental Health team