Office Updates Relating To COVID-19
Greetings to all our North Berkeley and South Berkeley Orthodontics Patients and Families!
Due to the new guidelines from our professional associations and the various governmental public health agencies we will be taking extra steps to ensure the health and safety of our patients and our team.
To keep everyone healthy and minimize the risk of virus transmission we would like to review some of the new protocols we will be implementing when we resume patient care and we ask for everyone’s understanding and cooperation. We fully expect that some of the protocols may be adapted long term, others removed and still other changes added. For the present, these are our new protocols/updates:
Before your appointment:
- Screening Form: We have a Covid exposure screening form that we will be emailing or texting adult patients and parents of minor patients to sign electronically prior to your visit. Please complete this form before you come to the office. We are unable to see any patient unless this form is received. Also, if we do not receive this form in time for the appointment, we will need to reschedule.
- Brushing and Flossing: Please brush and floss your teeth before arriving at the office. Due to aerosolization and droplet risk we will not be having patients brush or floss their teeth in the office.
- Upon Arrival: Once you arrive at the office please come to the front door and call or text us to let us know you have arrived. When a chair is available, an assistant will come out to get you.
- Visiting the office: We will only be allowing patients into the office. We ask that all parents to remain in their cars. If you must accompany your children, please do so only as far as the office door. If you are sending your child in without accompanying him/her/them to the front door please make sure your child knows where to find you after the appointment as we cannot be responsible for monitoring their whereabouts once they exit the office. After your child’s visit please contact us by phone to schedule the next appointment and/or to get an update on their treatment progress.
- Rinse and Wash Hands: We will have all patients sanitize their hands and rinse their mouths with a 1% hydrogen peroxide rinse before we begin treatment. Like any mouth rinse, please do not swallow the rinse!
- Restrooms: Please use the restroom at home before you come to the office. Our office restroom will be closed.
- Screening Symptoms: We will be checking all patient’s temperatures when they enter the office and if they have any flu like symptoms, we will send them back out and call to re-schedule the appointment.
- Responsibility: Please do your part and if you or your child are showing any signs of being ill, please call us and re-schedule the appointment. Do not come into or send your child into the office.
- Masks: A masks must be worn by all patients before they enter and while they are in the office.
- Social Distance: All persons inside and outside the office, except for the staff, must stay at least six feet apart.
- Hand Sanitizer: When patients enter the office, they must use the hand sanitizer dispenser by the door to clean their hands and do so again when they exit.
- Appointment Scheduling: We will be booking the schedule with fewer patients in any given day to minimize the number of patients in the office at one time and we ask that you call for your next appointment rather than coming into the office to schedule.
- Seating Patients: We will be seating patients no closer than six feet apart.
- Disinfecting: We will continue to disinfect all surfaces in the office (door knobs, counter tops, etc.) in addition to the recommended infection control measures that we always use.
- Aerosolizing Procedures: Procedures that produce aerosols (braces repair and removal, Invisalign attachment placement and removal) will be done on only certain days of the week.
- Electronic Communication: All communication, to the extent possible will be electronic. We will be emailing you whatever forms, referrals, etc. that are necessary. Please fill out any necessary forms at home, scan them and email them back to us or take a photo of the completed documents on your phone and email it to us.
- Late Arrivals: Late arrivals will need to be reschedule in order to support safe social distancing. If you think you might be running behind please call us before your appointment is scheduled to begin to see if we are still able to see you. We will not be able to accommodate walk in appointments.
- Virtual Appointments: Virtual appointments will be used as necessary.
- Cancel/Changing Appointments: If you need to cancel or change an appointment please let us know as soon as possible.
The above protocols will remain in place for the indefinite future, but please continue to check this page for updates.
We are still available but for emergency care which given the current circumstance we are defining as being in pain and that cannot wait until we return. If you and/or your child are in pain and experiencing an orthodontic emergency you may receive 24-hour emergency care by contacting the Berkeley Dental Society at (510) 865-6334.
You can also reach us for emergency care through the virtual consultation photo submission page on our website.
You all rock! Stay healthy and we look forward to seeing you all soon,
Dr. Iezman and Team