To Our Amazing Opus1 Family and Friends,
Words alone cannot express how much we miss seeing your bright smiles every day. We hope this finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe.
Thank you to those of you who took the time to connect with me virtually. It was different, but I found it very helpful to be able to assess your treatment progress and recognize and evaluate potential issues.
My team and I have been very busy over the past couple of weeks adjusting to the newest developments and implementing the most recent recommendations on how to prevent/slow the spread of the virus.
Even though in dentistry we have always taken universal precautions to protect our patients and our team members, I have decided to implement several more policies to ensure a healthy and safe environment at Opus1. One of the most noticeable changes will be our scheduling and our check-in and check-out procedures:
- Once you schedule your in-office visit, you will receive a short health questionnaire. Please, fill it out and submit back to us via e-mail prior to your visit in order to minimize using paper forms and pens and eliminate some unnecessary points of contact.
- Once you arrive, we will ask you to park and text us to check-in for your appointment.
- Please wait in the car until we text you back and invite you to come into the office.
- Upon arrival, we will be taking temperature readings. In order to avoid false-positive results, we ask that you do not eat or drink anything hot or cold 30 min prior to your visit or take any Tylenol within 4 hours of your visit.
- Those with temperatures >100°F will be asked to re-schedule.
- Please make sure to brush at home. Our hygiene station is temporarily closed. We will ask each patient to rinse with hydrogen peroxide or mouthwash at the office prior to their appointment.
- We would ask that patients 10 years of age and older, come in by themselves (if possible) and we will update your parents electronically.
As you may well know, Gov. Ducey recently lifted the previously issued stay-at-home order, allowing health care professionals to resume offering elective care to their patients.
We all were very excited about the possibility of being able to return to our practices until we actually read the official executive order.
The announcement came with many very specific requirements that needed to be met prior to providing care to patients. Many of those requirements seem tailored to hospitals and are prohibitive to small dental practices (such as COVID testing of patients), therefore the AzDA (Arizona Dental Association) submitted to the governor’s office a request for clarification.
As soon as we receive those answers and are able to return to the office, we will call each and every one of you to schedule your next in-person visit.
Stay healthy and safe 🙂,
Dr. Monika Barakat