Our Response To COVID-19

We hope this post 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 that will never change. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows 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). 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 agencies’ recommendations.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We have added an extra layer of precautions & some new protocols in response to COVID-19. For example:

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again when you arrive at the office. 
• When you arrive at the office, please park and call us so that we know you have arrived. 
• We will, then, have curbside check-in to confirm lack of COVID-19 symptoms or temperature and to insure only one patient enters at a time
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. 
• You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines to reduce the items that are difficult to disinfect.  We ask that you do not bring magazines/books/iPads, etc from home.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered different options for scheduling your appointment. We are also trying to schedule family members together to reduce unfamiliar social contact between patients.
• We are allowing greater time between patients to see you as efficiently & safely as possible.
• Mandatory 2 day rescheduling (without a cancellation fee) due to high volume of patients who have been delayed in receiving non-emergency procedures due to COVID-19 restrictions. 
• PATIENT ONLY in the office unless a minor or disabled patient who needs assistance. 
• PATIENT ONLY in the treatment rooms to reduce use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Treatment chairs will now have a full plastic disposable protective covering.
• Our dedicated hygienists are working on their usual off days to get our patients back on track in a timely manner.
• 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 352-473-9090.
• We will look a little different with our face shields on so don't make fun!! 

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.  You can follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/starlingfamilydentistrypa/  and on Instagram (starlingfamilydentistry) for updated information as we navigate through this unprecedented time.

Sincerely,

Dr Tracie C Starling and her team