Hello everyone,

We here at Pittsburgh Dental Sleep Medicine have been hard at work to understand and implement new protective measures for our patients and staff. In our current health climate, there is a lot of fear so I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the precautionary measure we are taking here.

1. Pre-screening all patients prior to their appointments: In addition to receiving a confirmation call, all patients with upcoming appointments will be asked a series of questions that have been provided by the ADA (American Dental Association). If any patient has displayed symptoms or has been around someone who has displayed symptoms, we will ask these patients to reschedule.
2. Infection Control for Staff: All staff will be wearing the highest standard off Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This may include masks (N95 or KN95), P100 respirators, disposable isolation gowns, face shields, protective eye wear, and disposable foot coverings. Additionally, the staff is required to observe social distancing when possible and is required, at a minimum, to wash their hands every hour. Staff will also be using a disinfectant on all appliances that have been in a patient’s mouth.
3. Infection Control for Patients: All patients will be required to wear a mask upon entering the office. Patients without masks will be given a level 1 surgical mask that is latex free. This mask is to remain covering the patient’s nose and mouth the entire time they are in the office unless they are rinsing their mouth or a clinical staff member is working with them and requires access to their mouth. All patients will be required to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. They will then rinse with an antimicrobial mouth rinse (we are using Peridex). At this time, a clinical staff member will take their temperature and if appropriate, will escort them directly to their operatory. Patient appointments will be staggered so that patients will not cross paths. Additionally, we ask that patients not bring anyone to their appointment with them to reduce the exposure.
4. Increased Office Cleaning: While we already used a pretty strict cleaning regimen, we have changed a few things about each aspect. Within the operatories, we already used a cleaning chemical that has been found to kill the COVID-19 virus and we cleaned in between patients. We will continue to use a cleaning chemical that kills the COVID-19 virus and clean in between patients, but we are adding a daily deep clean at the end of the day. We also will be cleaning frequently touched areas and items such as clipboards, counters, and doorknobs.

If you have any questions about processes, procedures, or any of the supplies being used within an office, please do not hesitate to reach out to either to the dentist at the office you frequent or myself, the Practice Manager. Stay safe. Stay healthy!