To our valued patients:!
We hope that you and your family are doing well. Our community has experienced a lot these past few months, and we are all adapting. Following the recent approval of the reopening of dental offices by the Illinois governor, we are sharing with you that White Eagle Family Dentistry will proceed with a cautious reopening on June 1, 2020. We remain committed to providing you with excellent dental care in the safest way possible. To that end, this letter aims to provide you with further information on our updated practices.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. Our office follows the 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 are guided by these agencies and we are up-to-date on any new recommendations.
Because safety at this time is our utmost concern, our office is making changes even beyond recommended guidelines. We are installing a hospital-grade air purification system in every treatment room and common area. It is the Novaerus air purification system that combats the spread of airborne pathogens. Backed by scientific evidence, the Novaerus system effectively kills any potential virus, bacteria, and mold particles in the air. Furthermore, we have installed Isolite and Dryshield products into our high-speed evacuation system (dental suction) to reduce aerosols and splatters by 90-95%. We have installed UV lights to kill any contaminants that cannot be removed by antiviral products. We have also converted all air-driven high-speed handpiece to electric high-speed handpiece which reduces aerosol by 50%.
You may notice the following changes when you come for your next appointment, which is designed to protect you and our staff:
- When you schedule an appointment with us, you will be asked some screening questions, such as whether or not you have a fever, difficulty breathing, been exposed to COVID-19 patients, etc. You will be asked those same questions again when you arrive at the office.
- We will ask you to call us from your car when you arrive so that we can make sure that we are ready for you before you enter the office.
- We require that you wear a face-covering when you enter the office and remove it only during dental treatment.
- We will ask you to use hand sanitizers that are placed in the office when you enter.
- Our waiting room will not have magazines and toys as these are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. This may mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointments.
- Prior to treatment, we will be recording your temperature using a contactless forehead thermometer. If you are showing any signs of fever, cough, or difficulty with breathing, we will not be able to treat you, and we will ask you to contact your primary healthcare provider.
- We will do our best to allot for a greater time between patients to reduce waiting time for you and the number of patients in the reception area.
- We have installed glass at the front desk to protect both you and our front office staff.
If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are suspected of COVID-19 exposure, then we are not able to care for you until you have been cleared by a medical doctor. Although we have taken the precautions listed above, this office is not able to care for actively infected patients. We do not have negative pressure isolation rooms, and contagious COVID-19 patients would put our staff and patients at undue risk. Please keep in mind the safety of your dental team and community, and we hope to see you as soon as you are cleared by a medical doctor.
In addition, every staff member will have her temperature taken twice daily and will be required to answer the same COVID-19 screening questions that we ask our patients. If there is even a suspicion of symptoms, the staff member will be asked to go home and seek medical care.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we have taken to keep you safe in our practice. Please call our office at 630-978-9005 to make an appointment, or visit our website at www.whiteeaglefamilydentistry.com.
Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. Thank you for the trust you place in us to deliver excellent dental care. We value your trust and loyalty, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joon Sun and staff at White Eagle Family Dentistry
Dr. Joon Sun and staff at White Eagle Family Dentistry
