Dental care is essential to your health. We are continuing to protect and support your family and ours. We are equipped to provide ALL dental hygiene services safely to our existing and new clients.
Guidelines for health and safety in health care environments have not changed since the onset of the pandemic. Dental care is essential in maintaining and optimizing your health and wellness. If you have questions about how we are keeping our clients and ourselves safe please contact us or read on. We have adopted the highest level of health and safety measures to protect your family and ours at this time. We have been open and practicing safely with these new health protocols since June 2020. It is essential to maintain your oral health to promote your best health and immune response. To book an appt please email [email protected] or call 519-736-1100. Regulated health professionals like dental hygienists are continuing to practice with a strict set of guidelines according to their scope of practice. Our dental hygiene governing body has provided us with guidelines (CDHO) so that we can continue practice safely. As always our clients’ health and safety is our first priority followed by maintaining the highest quality of care.
New protocols (new normal) things you can expect for your next visit. Updated March 23/22
We have developed improved and updated protocols in the best interests to both you our clients and us as practitioners with what is known about COVID19 at this time. (these will change as more information is available)
Here are some things to expect at your next Embrace Dental Hygiene visit.
- There will be a phone or email health assessment to screen our clients for risk factors and illness before they are placed in the schedule.
- You will be asked to wait in your car until we text or wave you in for your appt.
- You will be asked to bring and wear a mask inside the clinic. If you do not have one one will be provided. (Until in the treatment room of course 😉 Dental offices are considered health care environments not public places and therefore we will continue with masking in common areas until further notice per our governing bodies recommendations.
- Appointments will be spaced by a minimum of 30 mins to eliminate contact from client to client. With the exception of family units who share a household. (That means we will be seeing fewer clients so be patient with us:))
- Each client will be asked to perform hand hygiene (hand sanitizer or handwashing) prior to care being provided.
- Your treatment room is closed during your visit.
- Jen your Registered Dental Hygienist will have a new look:) She will be wearing a gown, N95 respirator, and a shield when she is providing your care.
- We are using high volume evacuation in the operatory during procedures that create aerosols that to drastically reduce air contamination.
- We have installed an air purification system that has triple filtration and UVC light that has been proven to reduce contaminants including viruses by more than 99% Beyond by Aerus
- Our common areas and high touch surfaces are being sanitized between clients
These protocols exceed what our dental hygiene college has deemed necessary and are the strictest in dentistry. In fact traditional dental offices and dentists may be following a much less strict protocol. Jen is a planner and deliberator she has made sure everything exceeds current guidelines and that your experience will continue to be the quality and comfort that you have been accustomed to at Embrace Dental Hygiene.
Some dental offices are limiting the services they are providing. This is office choice or an inability to meet the recommended guidelines for aerosol producing procedures. We have chosen and have been able to equip the office with everything necessary to continue to provide all necessary services for a comprehensive preventative cleaning or whitening visit including polishing and ultrasonic scaling.
Existing Protocols and Infection Prevention and Control at Embrace Dental Hygiene (Pre pandemic)
Our infection prevention and control at Embrace Dental Hygiene has always met and exceeded industry standards. And it has now received an upgrade to protect us and you from illness. Aerosols is a word I will be using a lot in this blog as it is suspected that is primarily how COVID19 is transmitted. It is also why the dental profession has made significant changes to establish a safe new normal. Dental professionals are in a very high risk position due to production of these aerosols. Aerosols are small droplets that are produced when we are working in a client’s mouth. Think of a humidifier or diffuser. The amount produced varies based on the procedure taking place.
In our field we always use and wear proper personal protective equipment in gloves, masks eye protection and uniforms. We have added to that PPE to protect us and you.
Some benefits intrinsic to Embrace Dental Hygiene:
- we are a small cozy practice. We will only ever have one to two practitioners working at a time. This limits risks and contact between our clients.
- we have always had hands-free faucets and soap dispensers for dedicated handwashing
- We do not have dental fillings or surgical procedures taking place in the office this limits aerosol production which in turn limits risk. A big benefit of being an independent hygiene practice or dental hygiene only.
- At Embrace Dental Hygiene we chose and use OPTIM33 one of the most effective and safest disinfecting agents to clean and disinfect our rooms and surfaces. Each room and surface is wiped and cleaned after each client visit. OPTIM33 is proven effective against viruses and bacteria nastier than COVID19.
- Instrument maintenance is completed at the highest standard. Our instruments are cleaned and dried prior to sterilization in a sealed hydrim after each use. This eliminates scrubbing and other instrument processing techniques that create dangerous aerosols. We use an autoclave to sterilize our instruments. Biological and chemical indicators are used that demonstrate and ensure that sterilization has taken place.
- Our sterile instruments are stored in closed cupboards and in sealed protective cassettes and pouches to prevent contamination.
- Our equipment is maintained and tested regularly to ensure optimal functioning.
There is much more but these are standards that will go forward after this crisis.
Our dedication and passion for the field of dental hygiene, our clients and the client experience at Embrace Dental Hygiene has not wavered. We are anxious to continue to serve you and community. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns We are always here to support you. To arrange a phone or online consultation email [email protected] or contact us through our Facebook or Instagram pages.
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