COVID-19 VIRUS NOTICE:
RE-OPENING JUNE 2, 2020!
Dear FUNtastic Family,
We hope you and your loved ones continue to be well. The last several months have been marked by unexpected challenges and severe limitations for all of us. The current infection figures give us reason to hope that we can now gradually return to normality, even if this has certainly changed.
Over the last couple of months, we kept the practice running for emergencies only. Now the California Department of Public Health has deemed all routine dental care as permitted, including but not limited to cleanings, treatments pending for crowns/fillings, etc. We realize how routine cleanings are important in the prevention of gum disease. Bleeding gums can lower the immune system and increasing one’s risk for viral infections.
Therefore, we will be reopening our practice for all services starting Tuesday, June 2, 2020. We will do our best to contact you to get you in as soon as possible & treat you in the safest manner possible to lower your risk to other infections/conditions. The appointments we cancelled have been sorted according to their importance/que, and we will now start to reschedule them. If you currently have an infection or are in pain, you are welcome to contact us for the next available appointment. If you are not, please kindly wait for our call to schedule you accordingly. You may also request an appointment online through our communication system and we will do our best to respond accordingly. We thank you for your patience in advance as we try to reschedule everyone.
Please note that we will be using Protective Personal Equipment, Kn95 masks, Gowns, hand sanitizers, air exhaust fans, high-vac suction systems, and face shields to help protect everyone in the office. We have gone above and beyond any recommendations put in place by the county and the state. PLEASE READ BELOW for a detailed explanation of what our practice will implement moving forward…
———————————————————————————————–
Information on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
We are facing this health crisis with due care and respect, but also calm and professionalism. We are observing and assessing the situation regarding COVID-19 very closely. The health of our patients and the employees of our practice is our highest priority. In general, as a dental practice, we deal professionally with the protection against all infections on a daily basis. We are appropriately trained and technically prepared for this.
Due to the worldwide health crisis caused by COVID-19 we have adapted some procedures in our practice. We ask you to pay attention to the following information:
Scheduling
• We are currently trying to reduce the number of patients that are in the office at the same time due to social distancing guidelines and stringent sterilization procedures. Therefore, your appointment may need to be rescheduled a few weeks out. Patients with pending treatment will be seen first in order of appointment canceled to prevent their condition from worsening.
• If you are in pain or have an abscess, please call us in advance. We will then try to identify the cause of the problem as precisely as possible by telephone and will then give you an appointment for the necessary treatment. Please DO NOT walk in without an appointment as this will interrupt our social distancing guidelines.
• Please limit the number of people coming to your appointment to just yourself, or a guardian unless you have a caretaker that needs to bring you.
• If several treatments are necessary, we will try to combine them in one appointment.
Self-control at home
• If you have symptoms of coronavirus infection (fever, cough, breathing problems, muscle pain, nausea), please contact us in advance by telephone before your appointment. We will then assess the situation together.
• If possible, we recommend that you take your temperature at home before a planned appointment. A temperature of up to 100.1°F is normal. We will be checking your temperature when you first walk in.
• If you have been infected, dental treatment is possible again from 4 weeks after the infection is detected.
Your arrival with us
• We ask you to arrive at our practice at least 10 minutes before your planned appointment to avoid long waiting times. If you are late for more than 5 min we may have to reschedule your appointment. Please note at times you may have to wait in the treatment room for up to an hour before the doctor sees you. This is due to the fact that we have adapted certain procedures and sterilizations that may take longer than usual when performing other treatment.
• Please wait in your car. We will call or text you when we are ready for you to come in. Please let us know when you arrive by phone call or text to (562) 627-8800 so that we know you are in the car waiting for us. Patients will be screened using an electronic Wellness Form that will be emailed or sent to your mobile device via text upon your arrival.
• It is required to wear a face covering as you enter the office and keep it on until we tell you to take it off in the treatment room.
• Please disinfect your hands when entering the practice. Appropriate dispensers with disinfectant are available.
• When entering the practice, we currently measure the temperature of all persons entering the practice with a non-contact clinical thermometer done by the receptionist. This applies both to patients and to the staff of the practice. A body temperature of up to 100.1°F is normal.
• Once in the treatment room, we will ask you to take off your mask and rinse with a peroxide rinse before being seen.
Hand hygiene
• In the entire practice you will find hand sanitizers. Please take advantage of them.
• We currently do without shaking hands. We apologize for the inconvenience.
What can you do to generally protect yourself?
• As with influenza and other acute respiratory tract infections, the rules for coughing and sneezing, good hand hygiene and distance from the sick (approx. 6ft) also protect against transmission of the new coronavirus. Shaking hands should also be avoided. In general, people who have respiratory symptoms should stay at home if possible.
Despite these changes, however, we still look positively into the future. Together we will overcome this crisis and better times will follow. We look forward to seeing your family again soon.
Stay healthy from all of us at FUNtastic Dental and FUNtastic Orthodontics.
If you feel you have an emergency dental or orthodontic condition, we will do our best to see you and alleviate your pain.
Call us today (562) 379-9744.
Virtual Exams Now Available
Let Us Come to You. You can now meet with a FUNtastic Orthodontics provider without leaving the comfort of your home.
As COVID-19 continues to be a concern in our own community, we are taking measures to ensure our patients, visitors, and team members are not subjected to unnecessary exposure.
FUNtastic Dental and Orthodontics has launched a new teledentistry option. We are dedicated to delivering first-class healthcare appointments through video visits.
During your teledentistry visit, you can:
· Speak with a FUNtastic Doctor face-to-face
· Diagnose, treat an orthodontic concern (and emergencies!)
NEW PATIENTS | EXISTING PATIENTS
The office of FUNtastic Orthodontics is closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We are following the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines for patients and our staff.
The California Dental Association and the American Dental Association announced their recommendation that all dentists and orthodontists postpone non-emergency procedures until further notice. Emergency dental and orthodontic care will continue to be provided.
Patients with a newly developed (within the past 3 weeks) fever, cough or shortness of breath should NOT come to the office for any reason.
Call us now at 562-912-2007 and speak to a provider for further guidance. Our office is unable to test for COVID-19.
To learn more about COVID-19, check out the CDC for more information about the virus here.
As further updates become available, please check back here and to the CDC for more information.