Open Letter to Our Patients and Community

 

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 everyone’s safety. 

 

Our office has undergone a complete renovation focusing on infection control and cleanliness. This fresh start has allowed us to put many new protocols in place to protect our patients and staff. 

 

As we hope you have seen during visits to our office, infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice, designed to keep patients and staff safe and comfortable. 

 

In addition to the OSHA guidelines that have always been in place, we have added additional technologies that will enhance our safety: 

 

• Daily health screenings and temperature checks of all staff members, as well as regular Covid tests. 
  

 

• Disposable outer garments. 

 

• N95 Masks fit tested to OSHA guidelines. 

 

• Face shields. 

 

• Pre-operative oral rinse to reduce bacteria and virus 

 

• Free standing medical grade H-13 HEPA air cleaners placed throughout the office. We have over-engineered this system to scrub the air quickly and efficiently. 

 

• Equipment that will remove aerosols from the air as you are being treated (http://www.adsequip.com/) are being installed.  All aerosols will be immediately vacuumed away and passed through HEPA filters and exposed to UVC light. 

 

• We are fogging our operatories after every patient and the public spaces twice per day. We have purchased units which create non-hazardous, eco-friendly, antiviral, electrolyzed water solution that can be used as a spray or fog to eliminate airborne contaminates and kill viruses and bacteria in as little as 60 seconds. The solution breaks down into salt water after use and poses no environmental or personal risk. (https://www.ecoloxtech.com/) 

 

• Plexiglass partitions are in place at the front desk  

 

• We are limiting paperwork and transactions at our front desk as possible by placing all our forms online to be submitted electronically 

 

Our office has always followed infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the NYS Dept of Health (NYSDOH).  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 do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agency’s recommendations, however, we have gone far beyond the recommendations of these agencies. 

 

You will see some changes when it is time for your next appointment.  We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.  For example: 

 

• We have put our forms online at www.swirskyfamilydentistry.com/forms which can be submitted electronically. 

 

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions.  You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. 

 

• Due to social distancing, please come to your visit alone.  If someone is accompanying you please have them wait outside or in their car. 

 

• When you come for your appointment, please wear a mask. 

 

• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed. 

 

• No-contact temperature screening will be performed upon entering the office.  You will then be escorted to the treatment room. 

 

• For sanitary purposes, there will no longer be magazines or toys in the waiting room. 

 

• Appointments are managed to allow for social distancing between patients.
  

 

• We will do our best to reduce waiting times, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.  With that in mind, please come to the office at your scheduled time and not earlier.  If you arrive early, please do not come in before your appointed time.   

 

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 914-834-9513 or email at office@swirskyfamilydentistry.com 

 

We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, and friends. 

 

Sincerely,

Dr Michael Swirsky