When Coronavirus (COVID-19) started, the entire world stopped. People avoided public places, offices, and traveling. Dental clinics were deemed non-essential, at least temporarily, which forced them to close.
After the pandemic hit, governments began to put measures in place to contain and control the virus (e.g. wear face masks, practice physical distancing, sanitize your hands, etc.). Businesses started to open and offer their services again. In Alberta, dental clinics started to quickly open, knowing how important it is for people to have dentists available to take care of their dental needs.
The Alberta Dental Association (ADA) created a COVID-19 guideline for dental clinics to follow to reduce the risks of spreading the infection. At Savanna Dental, we not only follow the ADA COVID-19 guideline, but go above and beyond for the safety of our staff and patients. Here is a summary of the measures we take to ensure your safety:
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- Staff must have basic knowledge of the disease, the infectivity, and modes of transmission and have ongoing training sessions around the ADA&C guidelines.
- Display posts with COVID-19 protocols and measures.
- Daily screenings of the entire dental team including having their temperature taken twice per day and completing a COVID-19 screening checklist.
- Screen patients on the phone and once they enter the clinic according to ADA&C COVID-19 guidelines.
- Maintain an up-to-date contact list for all staff.
- Ensure that all patients are wearing a mask when entering the clinic as required by the City of Calgary.
- Provide hand hygiene stations for patients.
- Promote physical distancing by maintaining 6 feet apart guidelines.
- Minimize the number of people in the clinic and minimize contact at reception.
- Require staff to wear masks at all times when in the clinic.
- Enforce hand hygiene to all staff by frequent handwashing and using hand rub before and after every patient.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces after every single patient including waiting area and public bathroom.
At Savanna Dental Clinic, we know how important it is to address tooth pain as it occurs. If you were not able to attend your dental appointment because of pandemic closures or if you are currently experiencing any kind of dental pain, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are open and accepting new patients, walk-ins, and dental emergencies.
COVID-19 Info. (2020, September 03). Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.dentalhealthalberta.ca/covid-19-info/