5/7/2020
Dear Patient:
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.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), Minnesota Board of Dentistry (MBD) 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.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. If after answering the questions anything changes, please notify our office immediately.
- We will have you wait in your car for your appointment. When you arrive please text 413-725-4470, to let us know you have arrived. If you are unable to text call us at 218-751-4460.
- We will send you a text message when we are ready for you to come to our door. Please do not enter our building, wait outside and a clinical employee will be out to take your temperature prior to entering the building.
- Please wear a mask, scarf or some type of covering over your mouth and nose when you come to our office.
- 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.
- You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, coffee bar, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- We are asking you come alone to your appointment. Only caregivers or parents will be allowed to accompany a patient to their appointment.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one 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 218-751-4460.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
The Team at Bemidji Dental Clinic