July 12th 2020 Update
Dear Patients,
What to Expect at Your Next Appointment
What you can expect before, during and after your visit
We can’t wait to see you soon.
Oral health is a gateway to your overall health, and your health is our top priority. As you might have imagined, things will be a little different this visit.
To keep you safe and smiling, our practice is adhering to the American Dental Association’s guidance for providing dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s what you can expect:
Before your appointment
> We will contact you prior to your visit to check on your current health status.
> You will be asked to limit the number of people you bring to your appointment (this could entail leaving your children at home or having older children go into the office alone).
> When you arrive please call us to let us know that you arrived. Please wait in the car until called upon.
During your appointment
> For your safety and ours, you’ll be asked to wear a mask.
> Your temperature will be taken
> The dental team will wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks, plastic face shields, goggles and surgical gowns or long-sleeved lab coats.
After your appointment
> To prepare for the next patient, staff will thoroughly clean the areas you’ve been in using cleansers specifically designed to deactivate the COVID-19 virus.
> We will schedule your next appointment in the operatory room.
> We will escort you to outside the office after the procedure is done.
All of this is done with your health as our utmost priority. You can rest assured that we are taking every precaution to ensure that our office is optimized for maximum safety. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you have about your visit. We look forward to seeing you!
Dental Appointments and COVID-19: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put off my dental appointment until after the COVID-19 pandemic is over?
Regular dental appointments are an important part of taking care of your overall health. While it can be tempting to put off your regular checkup until things feel more “normal” again, I advise against it. Routine appointments give me an opportunity to check for a number of health conditions and catch them early. Some conditions, like tooth decay, can be more difficult, painful and expensive to treat if they’re left undetected. Your health and safety is, and has always been, my top priority. My staff and I are taking every precaution to limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission at your visit.
What about teledentistry? Can I substitute a virtual visit for my regular appointment?
A phone or video appointment isn’t the same as your regular appointment. Teledentistry can be helpful in some situations, such as deciding if an oral health issue you’re experiencing is an emergency that requires immediate treatment or if it’s something that can wait a bit. If you think you may be experiencing a dental emergency, call my office and we’ll help you decide if you need to come in.
What are you doing differently because of COVID-19?
There are a number of science-backed steps my staff and I are taking to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
These include:
- Increased personal protective equipment including masks, face shields, goggles and surgical gowns or long-sleeved lab coats.
- Increased cleaning protocols. This includes using disinfectants known to kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
- Removing high-touch items like magazines and toys from waiting rooms and frequently cleaning items like pens and clipboards.
- Asking you to change your behavior by asking you to wait outside rather than in waiting rooms when possible, wearing face masks and not bringing additional people to your appointment.
Would you send me detailed instructions about check in!
Detailed instructions on how patients should check in and where they should wait until you are ready for them would be sent by text or email.
What Happens If I forget my mask?
If the patient forgets or does not wear a mask, we will provide one.
How is your dental team monitoring themselves for COVID-19?
Staff at our practice are subject to daily health screenings. This includes taking their temperatures to make sure they don’t have a fever and asking them a series of health-related questions each day to make sure they’re not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.
I see you added a charge related to COVID-19 to my bill. What’s that for?
The safety of patients and dental staff is my highest priority. Because of the shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), the cost of (PPE) has increased considerably( 10 Times Increase). Our office is including this charge during the pandemic until supply can meet demand and costs are controlled. If you have a dental benefit plan, it may cover some or all of these charges and the ADA has been advocating for payment from insurance companies across the country. However, the outcome is up to each plan.
You said you cannot see me as a patient because of my COVID-19 risk. Can you do that?
Yes. The safety of our patients and the dental team is our highest priority. As Dentists, we use our professional judgment and guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ADA to determine risk levels for seeing patients. If it was determined that you were high risk, or had a high temperature on the day of your appointment, we can have a conversation about which factors determined delay of service, so that you can self-monitor and reschedule.
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COVID-9 Policies and Procedures For Dental Office In Hiram. GA
A Message from Hiram Smiles
May 1st, 2020
Dear Patient
We hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits. Our thoughts are with all of those who may have suffered during these past few weeks. As our nation and community starts to heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize many businesses in our community will be opening their doors again. As you health advocate and ally, we want to take a moment to share a few updates with you.
Your safety and health have always been our greatest priority. Universal precautions have been expanded with added measures to continue to provide a thoroughly clean environment. Our team is proud to follow all ADA, CDC, and other reputable guidelines in our practice, making our business clean and safe for our patients.
We know that dental health is essential to protecting your overall health. So, we look forward to the opportunity to resume our regular treatments for you and the community of Hiram, GA.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the additional measures taken to make your visit safe and enjoyable. We are grateful for your continued trust and support in us—your dental health providers, fellow community members and friends.
See you soon,
Dr. Gudipati and the team at Hiram Smiles
www.hiramdentalsmiles.com
TEL
Hi
For any dental emergencies in Hiram and surrounding areas please call my cell phone 770-744-2979.
I will do free phone consultations during this pandemic.
Thanks
Praveen Gudipati
DMD; MPH; FAGD
Hiram Dental Smiles
https://www.facebook.com/Hiramdentalsmiles/videos/205226077453760/?t=5
We are taking a number of steps to maximize the health and safety of our patients and team.
Hiram Dental Smiles is proud to be a “ COVID-19 CERTIFIED CLEAN DENTAL OFFICE”.
