I’m sure you all have heard the term “PPE” quite a bit recently. We have seen thousands of social media posts, news reports, and heard whispers from random people in the grocery stores talking about their PPE. The first thing you probably think of when you hear PPE is most likely masks and gloves but is that really what PPE is? PPE is short for Personal Protective Equipment and just because you are wearing a mask and gloves, doesn’t necessarily mean you are being protected or that you are protecting others. In order to keep our team members and our patients healthy, we are following all rules set in place by the CDC (Center of Disease Control), OSHA, Department of Public Health and the Board of Dental Examiners. So, what exactly is our office doing to keep you and our team members safe?
Face Shields – Healthcare workers' faces have been reported to be the body part most commonly contaminated by splashes, sprays and spatter of body fluids. A face shield provides a barrier protection to the facial area and related mucous membranes (eyes, nose, lips). Our clinical team will be wearing face shields during the duration of your dental appointment to lower the risk of contamination. All face shields will be cleaned and sanitized after each patient.
Disposable Gowns – Our teams will be wearing disposable gowns instead of lab jackets. Jackets and gowns are used to protect team members from contamination by splashes, sprays and spatter.
Hand Sanitizer – In addition to washing our hands frequently, our team will be using hand sanitizer during the duration of patient care hours. In order for hand sanitizer to be fully effective, each team member has been instructed to use the proper amount of hand sanitizer and rubbing all over the surfaces of both hands until hands are dry.
Antiviral Mouthwash (Peroxyl) – Before each appointment begins, every patient will be instructed to rinse their mouth with Peroxyl mouth rinse. Peroxyl is used to provide a whole mouth cleanse before the dental appointment begins.
Thermometer – Each person entering our office will have their temperature taken to make sure there is no current fever. Any person running a fever will be unable to enter the office and any scheduled patient who is running a fever will have their appointment rescheduled to another date.
KN95 Masks – KN95 masks are filtration masks that protect our clinical team from airborne particles like viruses, bacteria and dust. Our doctors and clinical team members will be wearing KN95 masks for all dental procedures that create aerosolization. In addition to wearing the KN95 mask, our doctors and clinical team members will also wear a surgical mask over the KN95 mask.
Additional Protective Measures – No team member will be allowed to work if they have a fever or any other symptoms of COVID-19. We will also be screening every person entering our office including having their temperature taken.
Our patients and team members health is our number one priority, if you have any additional questions about the PPE our practice is using, please feel free to contact our office directly and one of our team members will be happy to answer and ease any of your questions or concerns.
Posted by Palm Tree Orthodontics