Below are some of the changes you will see upon your next visit to Wilmington Family Dental, due to the novel coronavirus.

As always, my staff and I are committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients in a safe and healthy environment. Infection control has always been and will continue to be a priority in our office.

In addition to the standards we have followed in the past, we will be instituting several new protocols in an effort to maintain the safest environment possible for our staff, patients, and families. To date, none of the staff or members of our immediate family, to the best of our knowledge, have tested positive to COVID or been exposed to COVID.

As a staff:

• We will be screened daily by recording our temperature and answering the same questions we will ask patients prior to treatment.
• We will be using the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect ourselves and our patients.
• In addition, we have installed ultra HEPA filtration units in all of our operatories which will purify the air six times every hour.

For our patients:

• You will be asked a series of questions regarding your health when your appointment is confirmed as well as on the day of your appointment. Any patient with a temperature above 100.3 will be rescheduled and not allowed in the office.
• In an effort to social distance, we will not allow patients in the waiting room. We will ask patients to call or text the office upon arrival. We will confirm that you are here and then send a staff member out to you.
• Before entering, they will take your temperature and re-ask the set screening questions.
• Upon entering, you will be escorted directly to your treatment room.
• We are encouraging all patients to bring and wear a mask into and out of the office.
• We will work to coordinate patient movement while in the office to help maintain distancing.
• We are a family dental practice. As such, we have in the past allowed members of the family to accompany each other in the office during treatment. As of now, we will only be allowing those scheduled for treatment into the office. Parents who bring patients will either have to stay in their vehicle with other family members or arrange for care if they want to escort minor patients into the office. Our preference would be for the child to be “handed off” to the staff member and that child come into the office alone, we will allow one parent to escort a minor if that is the guardians wish.

During this time, I understand that some patients have reservations about being exposed to the coronavirus. If you have any concerns about keeping a dental appointment at this time please consider giving us as much notice as possible as we are attempting to reschedule patients that we were unable to serve during the mandated closure.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve those who seek care at Wilmington Family Dental and will continue to work to provide a safe environment for both my patients and staff.

Thank you in advance for any inconvenience you might experience as we work to implement these changes in an effort to keep us all safe.