COVID-19 NOTICE

To all of our patients, 
 
 We hope this message finds all of you in good health.  As you may be aware, we have been following the guidelines of the Governor, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA).  The latest update from the NJDA on May 8th was: 
 
“Contrary to some rumors, dental offices were neither forced to be closed nor deemed to be non-essential.  In addition, the Governor never intended to prevent patients from receiving necessary dental treatment.  The only requirement the administration issued was a suspension of the performance of ELECTIVE SURGERIES or INVASIVE procedures on ADULTS that could be reasonably delayed.  The purpose of the Orders was to protect vital PPE and to slow the spread of the virus.  The Governor did not prohibit dental procedures which, in the exercise of proper discretion by the treating dentist, could not be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of the patient.”   
 
 This clarification by the NJDA does not mean business as usual, but it does state that we can provide necessary treatment to maintain and improve your oral health, which includes dental cleanings and exams.  Some of you may be ready to come back and some of you will have some reservations.  During this pandemic, we used this time as an opportunity to add to our existing infection control protocols to ensure the safety of our patients.  We ask that anyone coming into the office is limited to patients only if possible.  Patients may be asked to wait in their car until their appointment time.  When entering into the office, we will ask that you wear a mask inside the building and immediately wash your hands or use antibacterial gel.  At this time, you will have your temperature and your blood oxygenation level taken, and we will have you answer a series of questions to help identify potential infections.  
 
 When you enter the treatment room, you will be asked to rinse with two solutions prior to, and possibly during, any treatment.  This is to reduce and kill any bacteria and viruses that are present in the oral cavity.  We have streamlined the rooms to be free of any unnecessary items on the counters and have installed air purifiers in every room to remove aerosols that may be present (down to 0.1 microns). These air purifiers will filter out the entire volume of air in the room every 6-8 minutes.  We also have ordered Dry Shields for our hygiene rooms to further assist in reducing aerosols while the ultrasonics are in use.   
 
 Once your treatment is complete, we now have the ability to “check out” right in the treatment room.  Next appointments can be scheduled and payments can be done with our wireless credit card reader.   
 
 Please know that we are constantly reviewing guidelines and studies to ensure the safety of our patients and staff, and to provide exceptional care that our patients are accustomed to and deserve when they enter our office.  If you have any questions or concerns, we are available by email (belvideredental@ymail.com), through our website or by calling 908-475-3641.

We look forward to seeing you soon!