COVID-19 has forced many businesses to take a second look at their current health and safety precautions, especially those who work in the medical space. Sure, dentists already practice many advanced safety protocols that keep disease transmission to an absolute minimum. However, in the time of a pandemic, there’s more reason than ever to give them a second look and determine other ways to protect patients even further. Here are a handful of the many steps a dentist in Little Rock must take to ensure your family is not exposed to COVID-19.
Safety Champion
It’s important for all team members to consistently be practicing enhanced safety protocols during a pandemic, all without affecting the quality of care that patients are used to. That’s why every day, dentists are assigning the role of “safety champion” to a single team member. This person’s role is to make sure that all team members are following revised safety guidelines to protect themselves and patients. They’ll perform overall monitoring of the practice, ensure patients and team members are practicing social distancing, greet patients and answer questions they may have about the office’s additional safety protocols.
Daily Health Checks of Staff
Patients deserve to be treated by a team that they know will not get them sick. This is why everyone, including safety champions, will need to have a daily health check performed prior to them working in the office for the day. This check includes a quick, no-contact temperature reading and a questionnaire to confirm no symptoms of COVID-19 are present. You’ll find that patients will need to complete these steps as well.
Better Protective Personal Equipment
Dentists would generally rely on gloves and a surgical mask before beginning treatment, but now they are taking their PPE (or personal protective equipment) to the next level. This includes the use of FDA-approved PET face shields and disposable coats and hats for all clinical team members. Front desk employees also receive surgical masks, which not only protect them from germs coming into the office, but also make deep cleaning the practice safer overall.
COVID-19 has forced dentists to make many significant changes to the way they provide care, but this is necessary to ensure the safety of every patient who visits.
About Little Rock Family Dental Care
Our dentists at Little Rock Family Dental care go the extra mile to ensure all patients can feel safe during their visit, whether it’s for a routine exam and cleaning or a more in-depth procedure like a dental crown or oral surgery. No matter what your needs are, you can expect a hard-working team and a safe dentist in Little Rock to be by your side. To schedule an appointment, you can contact them through their website.