Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. 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 U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Dental Association (ADA) and the California Dental Association (CDA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again the day of your appointment.
• Please wear a mask or cloth face covering when coming to your appointment. 
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
• You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. 
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• When arriving for your appointment, please remain in your car and either call or text our office that you are in the parking lot. Our goal is to limit the number of people in the office at a time. 
• Only one parent or guardian accompanying a minor. 
• Our staff will always be wearing face masks along with additional personal protective equipment (PPE).
• We have installed air sanitizing systems throughout the office.  

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.