Dr. Marcelino’s Reopening Letter

25 Jun Dr. Marcelino’s Reopening Letter

Dear Marcelino Dental Arts patient,

I hope this letter finds you healthy and safe amidst these unprecedented times.  The last several months have brought unparalleled challenges to our way of life, and we now know that this will include many changes, including changes here at Marcelino Dental Arts. 

I am sending this message to update you on some new office policies that we are adopting to ensure we are keeping our patients and team safe and healthy.  You will notice these changes starting with scheduling your appointment, modifications to the office environment and staff protective equipment, and contact minimization during the checkout process.

Here is what you can expect:

Before your appointment

• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients, to reduce waiting times for you, and to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• After making an appointment, you will be asked a series of COVID-19 screening questions within 72 hours of your appointment.
• When you arrive for your appointment, we ask that you remain in your vehicle and call the office to notify us of your arrival. 
• If you need to sign medical history updates or other forms, those forms will be brought to you along with a single-use pen that will be yours to keep.
  • We ask that adult patients enter the office alone unless assistance is medically necessary. 
  • For patients under the age of 18, one parent will be allowed to accompany the minor(s) to his/her/their appointment. The parent will be allowed to wait in the reception area, but is not permitted in the treatment room.
• A facial covering is required to enter the office.  Please keep your facial covering on until asked to remove it.

During your appointment

• Upon entering the office, your temperature will be taken with a contactless thermometer. 
  • The reception area has been modified by reduced seating. 
  • Books, magazines, and toys have been removed from the reception area to decrease “high contact” items. 
• You will be asked to use hand sanitizer while your COVID-19 screening questions are reviewed.
• After being seated in the treatment room, you will be asked to remove your facial covering and then rinse with a solution of 50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide.
• You will notice all team members wearing additional Personal Protective Equipment (N95/KN95 respirators, fluid-resistant gowns, face shields, etc). 
  • Due to the increased cost and scarcity of this PPE, we are forced to implement a small necessary surcharge for your dental visit.
• All treatment rooms, as well as the reception area, have HEPA filtration devices to help circulate and purify the ambient air.
• As in the past, we will follow a strict infection control protocol: all surfaces are disinfected and all instruments are sterilized.  We have also enhanced these measures to include non-treatment areas and objects such as clipboards, door handles, etc.

After your appointment

• After your treatment is completed, you will be asked to replace your facial covering and proceed to the front desk for checkout.  A plexiglass divider has been placed at the front desk for safety. 
• Credit card payments (contactless, if possible) will be the preferred method of payment.

These new protocols follow infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We will be following the activities of these agencies so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

Though these precautions are currently our standard practice, we hope that this “new normal” is only temporary.  We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call or text the office at (732) 212-2800.  You can also visit our website at marcelinodentalarts.com.

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming you back to our office.

Sincerely,

John R. Marcelino, DMD

Marcelino Dental Arts