We're OPEN!

As of June 1, 2020, Farmington Village Dental is proud to say we are OPEN for all dental care!

Hopefully you all read our email last week. Pay close attention though, some things have changed.

We have all been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines.  While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same:  our commitment to your safety.

Enhanced Sterilization and Disinfection

Infection control and cleanliness has always been a top priority for our practice and COVID-19 has only deepened our commitment to your safety.  We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we are following to keep patients and staff safe.

Farmington Village Dental follows infection control recommendations made by the CT Department of Public Health, the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  We sterilize all instruments that are not disposable in a high heat autoclave.  In the treatment rooms, we use both surface barriers and a hospital grade disinfectant (which has been shown to be effective against Coronaviruses like COVID-19).  We follow strict hand hygiene protocols.  Rest assured that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that have been issued so that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.

Beyond Standard Precautions

Besides the standard precautions, we have taken additional measures to ensure your safety:

• “Sneeze guards” are now at the front desk for the safety of our front office staff.
• Medical grade air purifiers are now throughout the office. 
• Our regular cleaning routines are now enhanced to clean commonly touched surfaces every hour.
• We will be using an electrostatic antimicrobial spray treatment throughout the office each day to ensure decontamination of the air as well as all surfaces.

Your Appointment Will Be Different

You will see some changes when it is time for your next appointment.  We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.  For example:

• About 24 hours before your appointment you will need to answer some screening questions over the phone.
• When you arrive to the office, we ask that you remain in your car and call the office to announce your arrival.
• A staff member will meet you at your car, review your screening questions, take your temperature, check your lung function, and verify your medical history.
• Please be prepared that the staff is all going to look different.  Increased amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) is now required.
• You must wear your own personal mask to enter.  This mask must be used for your departure as well.
• The office will appear different.  The office is going to look bare because we want to ensure a clean environment.
• Upon entry you will be instructed to sanitize your hands at our touchless hand sanitizer station.
• We will no longer be offering conveniences such as magazines, coffee, and children’s toys since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.  We will still have water available for you upon request.
• Before your appointment begins you will swish with anti-microbial mouth rinse.
• Appointments will be staggered so as to allow for social distancing and to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. Because of this requirement made by the DPH, there will be less options for appointments for the time being.
• We are restricting entry into the office to patients only.  Companions or escorts will be allowed in certain cases such as a minor child, an elderly patient, or a patient with special needs.  Only one additional person may enter the office with the patient and this additional person will be subject to our screening procedure and will also be required to wear their own mask at all times.

So what's changed since the email last week?

Last week our email mentioned that there would be a $12 fee for PPE. This was based on the guidance of the American Dental Association considering the significant cost associated with getting a dental office ready after COVID-19. After considerable thought, we have decided not to charge this fee to our patients.

We know this is a lot, but we need to do everything possible to ensure your safety and the safety of our staff. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we have taken to keep you and every patient safe in our practice.

Thank you for being our patient.  We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to seeing you soon. To make an appointment please call us at 860-676-2288.