Ten Ways We Protect You
Twenty percent of people haven’t returned to their dentist since COVID-19 quarantine guidelines were put in place. Initially, dental offices were closed. We completely understand. Aerosolization concerns are valid. Sanitization procedures are important. Your safety and health matter.
However, after clinics reopened gradually, many patients still haven’t returned because of personal safety concerns. And this causes greater concerns. Why? While North Creek Dental provides emergency care, our goal is preventative care for you and your family. And we also know your dental health impacts your overall health in ways many people don’t realize.
In an article featured on WebMD, they cited many of these concerns:
“Researchers know there’s a synergic relationship between oral health and overall wellness. Gum disease is linked to a host of illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. By combing through 1,000-plus medical histories, researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry found that people with gum disease were twice as likely as others to die from a heart attack and three times as likely to have a stroke.”
Our approach is to ensure your safety while also optimizing your patient experience. Opening our new facility in the fall of 2020 has helped greatly. Here are ten ways North Creek Dental Care has responded to your safety concerns.
- New Facility
Our new construction was still in progress when COVID-19 concerns changed the landscape. This allowed us to make several upgrades to take what the scientific community was learning and implement them from the first day we opened. Changes in the HVAC system, operatory layout, and patient flow were put in place. - Spacious and Safe Waiting Area
One of the first things patients notice is a waiting area that is four times larger. Combining this new space with the curbside waiting room practices, patients can social distance easily and reduce exposure to a bare minimum. - Check-In Procedures
North Creek had already moved to safe curbside waiting room practices. When you pull up to the new facility, you are contacted via phone or text. We send patients a link to complete the necessary forms online. If our waiting room is full when you arrive, we will call once there is a waiting-room space to accommodate, and have you complete any forms not completed online. As with our staff, we also check the temperatures of everyone with no-touch thermometers. The front desk workers and procedures all meet or exceed CDC and State guidelines (including shields and masks). - Daily Safety Meetings
Everyone knows procedures and guidelines only work if they are actually implemented. Our team stays sharp on protocols by gathering for a daily safety meeting. We are determined to stay updated, well informed, and completely compliant with best practices. - Employee Safety and Protective Wear
Our team wears PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for your safety and our own. Masks, gloves, shields, and N95 protective gear are worn by our dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, and trained specialists. We want to feel and want you to feel safe at all times during your appointment. - Contained Operatories
When you come for a cleaning, exam, or to have work done, you’ll be in a private operatory that is completely enclosed and safe. While windows ensure you can see in and out of the room, the walls and doors provide maximum privacy and sanitization. Every operatory is sanitized to CDC standards before and after each appointment. - Air Filtration – Every Operatory
Dental patients are unable to wear masks during procedures, so how do you keep everyone safe? In addition to the new privacy features, every hygiene operatory has it’s own air filtration system. Hygiene operatories create the most aerosol because of their ultrasonic scalers. Therefore in these rooms, we have installed extra HEPA filtration systems. Our new filtration system works to immediately remove any air particles from the hygiene operatories. - Air Filtration – Entire Facility
In addition to the operatory air filtration systems, our entire facility features a state of the art heating and air-conditioning filtration system. The air inside Northcreek Dental Clinic is completely changed-out and purified every three minutes. The filtration system is designed to ensure your safety and keep the air you breathe clean and fresh. - One-Way Traffic
While most grocery stores have done away with one-way foot traffic because of customer inconvenience, our brand new facility was fortunately designed for one-way traffic from the beginning. You will enter through one door after check-in, and exit through another once your appointment is done. - A Friend, Safe, Sterile Environment
Some people fear if we are safe and sterile, the patient experience won’t be friendly. At North Creek Dental Care, you won’t need to worry about this. While safety protocols are in place, we place a high value on your experience when you come to our new facility. Our front-desk staff knows that going to the dentist can be anxiety-inducing for some people. We also know wearing masks, working behind shields, and meeting guidelines can seem very impersonal. We believe we have perfected the art of being safe, personal, and sterile as a team during every phase of your appointment. This took a few weeks to fully perfect, but we are confident you will still experience the personal care with a human touch when you are treated at North Creek Dental Care.
At North Creek Dental we know you deserve a professional, personable, safe experience when you have dental work done. We don’t believe this is an either-or situation, so we have committed to proving both. You ought to be able to maintain good oral health all the time – especially during a pandemic. Your family should be confident when you book an appointment knowing safety and health go hand-in-hand. Our systems and protocols are designed to meet and exceed every regulation guaranteeing your health and safety.