COVID-19 PATIENT SAFETY MEASURES & OFFICE PROTOCOL

At The Hills Modern Dentistry we are excited to have the opportunity to welcome you back to our dental office!  We want you to feel confident when visiting our dental practice and have implemented updated safety protocols and invested in new equipment to ensure a safe and clean environment for everyone.  Our priority has always been to protect the health and safety of our patients, their families and our health care professionals and staff.  With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have trained and educated our dental team and have instituted additional guidelines and protocols recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure your safety and health.

Below is a list of some of the enhanced precautions and safety measures we have taken at The Hills Modern Dentistry to protect you in addition to the extensive team training on infection control and patient management procedures due to COVID-19.

I. PRIOR TO YOUR DENTAL APPOINTMENT

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some COVID-19 screening questions.  Please fill out the questionnaire in the link below and bring it with you on the day of your appointment.  In addition, all The Hills Modern Dentistry team members will be screened everyday and those not feeling well will be asked to stay at home for your safety. 
• Patients will be asked to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their appointment time. We ask that upon arrival you remain in your vehicle and call us at (949) 830-1395 to inform us that you have arrived.  When we are ready to start treatment we will call you to come inside the office.  This will help minimize the amount of individuals in the office and promote safe social distancing between patients entering and leaving the office.
• A mask or cloth face covering is required by ALL patients and companions upon entering the office, in accordance with the CDC’s recommendation.  If you would like a mask, please ask someone at the front desk, and you will be given a mask to wear in the waiting room for your safety.  You will not need the mask when you are being treated, the doctors and treatment team will be wearing their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which includes fit-tested 3M™ Particulate Respirator N95 Masks in addition to ASTM Level 3 Masks, Face-Shields, Disposable Gowns & Gloves.
• When you arrive we have reorganized our reception area to respect social distancing.  Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, since those items are difficult to continually clean and disinfect.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office.  You will also find some hand sanitizer in the reception area and other places throughout the office for patient use.
• We will take your temperature with a touchless thermometer to make sure you are not running a fever.  Anyone with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees will need to be rescheduled.

II. ADDITIONAL FRONT OFFICE SAFETY MEASURES

• A team member has been assigned to wipe down and disinfect all high traffic surfaces including the countertops at the lobby, door handles and the reception desk. These contact surfaces will be sanitized after patient encounters and throughout the day.
• Protective shields or “SneezeGuards” have been installed in our front office check-in and check-out desk area
• In our waiting area as well as in each operatory, we are installing Medical Grade H13 Filters 99.9% particle removing antimicrobial Treatment to safely remove 99.9% of airborne particles including viruses, pollen, ragweed & other allergens, dust mites, mold spores & smoke.
• Appointment times will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. These longer appointment times are for you to prepare and complete all appointment protocols in the safest and most comprehensive manner

III. SAFETY MEASURES DURING YOUR DENTAL APPOINTMENT

• We disinfect all surfaces in the dental operatories, such as the dental chair, dental light, drawer handles and countertops, with medical grade disinfectants that kill 99.9% of all harmful bacteria and viruses.
• We use disposable protective coverings on high contact areas of our equipment which are disposed of and replaced after each patient visit.
• Sterilize non-disposable items such as dental tools and instruments between patients using hospital grade sterilization equipment. Our sterilization equipment is monitored and tested on a regular basis.
• We use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which includes fit-tested 3M™ Particulate Respirator N95 Masks in addition to ASTM Level 3 Masks, Face-Shields, Disposable Gowns & Gloves.  This protects both the patient and the treatment team.
• Disinfect our hands in between every patient interaction, before putting on a new pair of gloves and mask.

We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we have taken to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. The health and safety of our community is our number one priority.  To make an appointment, please call our office at (949) 830-1395 or visit our website at www.LagunaHillsDentists.com

Thank you for entrusting us with your dental care. Stay safe and healthy!

Warm Regards,

The Hills Modern Dentistry Doctors & Staff