ANN MARIE HOFBAUER, DMD

We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome you back on Tuesday, May 26^th! Our office has always utilized personal protective equipment (PPE) that has exceeded all the CDC guidelines; however, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic we gave instituted additional guidelines and protocols to ensure your safety.

You will see many changes as we have new ways of scheduling your appointments and managing your insurance and financial transactions. First you will be contacted 48-72 hours prior to your appointment via phone, text or email and asked a set of health-related questions.  We will also contact you 48 hours post your appointment to check in as well. It is required that we complete this questionnaire prior to your appointment.  We will have to reschedule your appointment if we are unable to complete this step.  Below is a list of some of the enhanced precautions we have taken to protect you in addition to extensive team training on infection control and patient management procedures.

• We are asking patients to come alone to scheduled visits unless absolutely required. (Sedation, etc.)
• If you have scheduled appointments please check in by phone call so we can complete our questionnaire and then wait in your car. You will receive a text message or phone call when it is time for your appointment.
• Our front door will remain locked.
• An Assistant or Hygienist will come to your car and take your temperature as well as guide you from your car directly to treatment rooms to eliminate contacting surfaces.
• Maintain distancing in the reception area for essential caregivers and parents of minors if they cannot wait in a vehicle or outside the clinic.
• All patients are required to please bring a mask to wear upon entering the office.
•  If you would like a blanket or headphones you will need to bring them from home.
• Magazines, toys, and pillows have been removed from the reception area.
• We are asking all patients to wash their hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds prior to their appointment.
• Providing more education materials to enhance your awareness of health issues related to this pandemic.
• Installed sneeze guards at all reception areas.
• We will be recording the temperature of every team member each day at the beginning and end of their work period.
• Payment arrangements in advance to avoid delay and allow contactless exit from the appointment.
• Every patient will have a pre and post procedural rinse with CTX4.
• Enhanced operatory disinfection procedures of all surfaces between patients.
• Ambient air management with HEPA13 air filtration continuously in treatment rooms and common areas to remove germs from circulating air.
• Enhanced operatory disinfection procedures before and after all appointments with mist or fogging devices to access hard to reach places that can be easily missed.
• New personal protective equipment like visors, gowns, and masks for our doctors and team to provide barriers against the smallest of germs.
• Introduce protocols to reduce or eliminate airborne aerosols during all dental procedures.
• Enhanced nightly disinfection procedures of equipment and office fixtures like computers, keyboards, telephones, chairs, doorknobs, and buttons that may be touched unconsciously.
• Disinfection of all outside mail and packages that enter the building.
• Longer appointment times for you to prepare and complete all appointment tasks and duties in the safest and most comprehensive manner.
• Providing teledentistry services for follow up lab reports or communication that can be done online or through video education.
• Provide disease testing recommendations for exposure detection to viruses.