We Remain Committed to Your Safety
We hope you are in good health. Our community has been through a lot recently, and I know we are all looking forward to resuming our normal daily lives. There will be some changes, but one thing will remain the same: La Mesa Family Dentistry is committed to your safety and oral health.
We are now open for routine dental care including cleanings! This letter outlines some of the changes we have made to help protect patients and staff. We look forward to seeing you again soon and are happy to answer any questions you may have. To make an appointment or ask us a question, please call our office at (619) 337-2970 or email us at info@lamesafamilydentistry.com.
Enhanced Safety Measures
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. Our infection control processes are designed to make your care safe and comfortable. We follow the 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) and we monitor their activities to remain up-to-date on new rulings and guidance as they are issued.
Here are some of the changes you will notice when it’s time for your next appointment.
More appointment options, less overlap
Our hours will generally remain the same, but we have reorganized Alexa, Kalia and Nataliya’s schedule to reduce overlap and decrease the number of patients here at any one time. This also means we’ll provide hygiene services every weekday.
Reduced patient overlap, less waiting
Appointments will be distributed to minimize waiting time and generally reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. Upon arrival please call from your car to confirm that we are ready for your appointment. We will let you know when to come in.
Pre-screening
A day or two before your appointment, you should receive a confirmation call. During that call we will ask several questions to complete a pre-screening of every patient for flu/COVID-19 symptoms.
Fewer companions
Patients should not be accompanied by anyone in the office. Friends or family are asked to wait in the car. Exceptions will, of course, be made for minors, caretakers, and patients requiring special assistance.
Day-of screening, staff screening
Please be prepared to have your temperature taken and answer questions to screen for flu/COVID-19. All staff members will be screened for temperature and flu-like symptoms daily.
Masks, hand sanitizer
All patients and staff should wear a mask when they are here and within 6 feet of each-other. The obvious exception would be while we are actively working on a patient then, patients will not be able to wear a mask. Hand sanitizer will be available for you to use when you enter the office and during your visit.
Waiting room changes
Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. Sneeze guards are being installed at the check-in and check-out areas. Unfortunately, we will not be offering the cookies and roses for the time being.
Enhanced safety measures during care
All patient appointments will start with an antimicrobial rinse to help reduce potential viral load. We will be limiting use of aerosol producing devices and increasing our use of isolation devices that reduce aerosolization on every appropriate procedure. Our staff will be utilizing more PPE to better protect themselves and our patients. Unfortunately that PPE has become hard to obtain and quite costly with supply and demand. As such, we are following the ADA recommendations of charging a small fee for that PPE for each appointment, which will hopefully be covered by dental insurances.
Air filtration, sanitization
We are taking many additional measures to ensure everyone’s safety including the implementation of new air filtration systems. We will be using hypochlorous acid foggers and sprays to help further sanitize the office without putting staff or patients at increased risk.
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 (619) 337-2970 or email us at info@lamesafamilydentistry.com. If you have greater concerns and wish to speak to Dr. O’Brien he would be happy to do so.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael O'Brien and Staff