As of Monday March 16, 2020 we will be limiting our services to emergency cases that involve pain, swelling (infection) and trauma.
At We Smile Dentistry our number one priority has always been the health and safety of our patients and our team. We wanted to reach out to all of our patients regarding the COVID-19 virus, and to let you know the steps we are taking to alleviate any potential concerns.
We have always followed strict cleaning policies for the protection of both our team and our patients. We use hospital-grade disinfectants across the entire office, with extensive room cleaning after each patient to ensure a safe and clean environment. After each use, all dental instruments receive the highest level of medical sterilization available. Each team members maintains rigorous personal hygiene standards as well as using new gloves and face masks for every patient interaction.
We have implemented a variety of steps to help reduce the potential entry of the virus to our office based on recommendations from The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health, and The Royal College of Dental Surgeons (RCDSO).
Among the additional precautions we are taking as a dental clinic are:
- PLEASE! Use the automatic door opener button when entering the building.
- Thorough screening regarding COVID-19 over the phone as well as when someone enters the office.
- Disinfecting objects that are touched frequently, such as doorknobs, handles, and chairs in the waiting area as well as reception and treatment areas.
- Providing hand sanitizer, masks and facial tissues and encouraging their use.
- We are kindly requesting all non-essential visitors to avoid coming to the building unless necessary.
- We are posting signs on our entryway doors to notify visitors of this policy
Nevertheless, battling the spread of COVID-19 requires everyone’s collaboration. Below are some examples of how you could help protect yourselves and our team, as well as prevent the spread throughout the community.
- Notify us if you develop respiratory symptoms prior to appointment. These include cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, and/or shortness of breath.
- Apply social distancing. At this time, we kindly ask that you stay home if you have any of the symptoms of respiratory illness mentioned above. The latest recommendations indicate being 6 feet apart from someone else.
- Notify us if you have been outside Canada within the last 14 days or have been in contact with someone who has travelled. This includes family, friends, co-worker etc.
- Practice proper hand washing hygiene. Everyone should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 70-95% alcohol upon entering the office (hand sanitizer station) and before and after interaction with people. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
- Cover you mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
Please rest assured that we are following local and national updates daily and will continue to maintain the highest level of safety and patient care that you have come to expect. If you have any questions regarding your future appointments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We will be open at reduced hours from 9-12, 519-661-0042.
~~ The We Smile Team
