5/15/20
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good spirits through these tough times.
This note is primarily to give you an update on the status of our practice and the technology we have implemented. This is for the safety, not only of our patients but for our staff as well.
The Governor of Illinois has permitted dental practices to begin treating patients again for elective procedures this week. We will be starting back this Monday with normal operations as far as elective dental procedures such as cleanings, fillings, etc. We will be instituting several safety protocols to protect our patients and our staff from each other and to maintain social distancing.
These procedures are as follows:
- When you arrive at the office please wait in your car and call in and the staff will let you know when your operatory is ready for you so we can bring you back right away.
- The front desk will pre-screen you and have you sanitize your hands. They will then take your temperature and O2 levels with a pulse oximeter.
- Please wear a mask when you come in. If you don’t have one we can provide one for you at our cost.
- We are staggering patient appointments so that we can maximize social distancing.
- We ask that patients enter the office on their own, unless patient is under 18, or the patient needs extra assistance such as a care giver. We also ask that these caregivers follow the same mask and screening requirement as our patients.
- Since we have about 2 ½ months appointment times to catch up on we will need 48 notice of cancelation to avoid a missed appointment fee.
- There will be a nominal PPE surcharge of $15/appointment to cover the increased cost to protect our patients and our staff. This may or may not be partially covered by your insurance.
We take our patients’ and staffs’ health and safety very seriously. We take pride in our office reputation and emphasis on technology. This technology helps us improve patient care and safety.
Here is a rundown of the technology we have already had in place and some we have added over the last few weeks:
- Extreme Microbial Technology Air Purification System. This technology runs 24/7 through the HVAC system and stand alone units using a combination of UV-C light, Hepa filtration and Ionized Hydrogen Peroxide to remove all bacteria, molds, fungus, and virus from the air. We are the first dental office in the state and one of the first 10 in the country using this technology. We also have had a Micropure UV-C system that reduces the bio-load on the incoming air for several years now.
- Our dental water system has dilute food grade hypochlorous acid HOCL(non-toxic) running through it so that as aerosol is being generated it is killing any virus and bacteria and reducing microbial load in the operatory.
- Disinfectant HOCL fogging
- Our Hygienists and assistants will be using high volume suction in addition to enhanced PPE protocols.
- Plexiglass barriers at the check in-checkout counters.
- Fewer reception room chairs for social distancing.
- Fewer patients seen in the office at the same time.
- Weekly antibody testing for staff
We are now offering Covid rapid antibody testing along with Vitamin D testing for any healthy patients. This testing is as easy as a simple blood sugar test and delivers results in 10 minutes. Please call to set up a separate appointment for either of these tests.
We are continually working to exceed our patient expectations. We truly feel that we have created the safest possible environment for our patients and staff. We hope to see you soon. If there are any questions you have about our technology or protocols the doctors would be more than happy to discuss them with you. We can be reached at the following cell numbers: Dr. Russ- 847-772- 3927 & Dr. Rusty -847 772-1274