Dear Friends,
I want to take a minute of your time and inform you about the COVID-19 virus and how it will be affecting my dental practice.
First of all, this is not the first contagious illness that has circulated in our country nor will it be the last. In my 20+ years of practicing, I have dealt firsthand with the threats from HIV/AIDS, swine flu, H1N1, MERS, SARS and of course every year’s cold and flu season. Current recommendations by a former professor of pathology, at the University of California San Diego, are NO HANDSHAKING, USE only YOUR knuckle to touch light switches, elevator buttons, etc, lift gasoline dispenser or open doors with paper towel, or use disposable gloves. Use disinfecting wipes at the stores when they are available. Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol based sanitizer. Cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue, or use the inside of your elbow to stop the spread of contagious virus.
At my office, we have always followed CDC guidelines of “universal precautions” and continue those practices daily. Almost nowhere in the USA can you guarantee protection from the virus, but we will do everything reasonably possible to ensure the safest environment for your dental care. We will continue our standard protocol of our sterilization processes, and disinfecting our treatment rooms after every patient. We have received many compliments over the years of having a clean and hygienic office, and this has always been a priority for me and my dental team. We clean the reception area multiple times a day, and will continue to do so. Additionally, we will be wiping doors, door handles, railings, etc. with sanitizing and disinfecting wipes, this will be added as our ‘standard of care.’
I personally want you to know that you are safe to receive your dental care. My team is safe to work here. We are operating as business as usual, as quite honestly, the threat of the COVID-19 virus is no different than the threats we have received daily from other illnesses throughout the past years. We will be screening our team members throughout the day for any symptoms. That being said, if any patients are experiencing a dry cough, fever greater than 100.4 or shortness of breath, please contact our office and we’ll gladly reschedule your appointment for a later date.
Since the 1st day of my career we have been trained to deal w/HIV, Hepatitis, and other viruses. The one thing I do know that delaying any routine or needed dental care can lead to more extensive and expensive dental care in the future, issues that can extend long after the impact of the threat of this virus. We will always follow the suggested advise of the CDC and State of Michigan.
Some of you may still have questions, therefore I am posting my personal cell number 586-405-6214, to answer any afterhours questions or concerns that you may have. Feel free to call or text. Most importantly, I want you to know that we are taking this threat very seriously, just as we have with past threats that have received more or less attention. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to alleviate your concerns.
We at Cambridge Dentistry take your health very seriously. That is why we continue to monitor the situation regarding the COVID-19 virus. In order to ensure the safety of our patients and dental team members, we continue to closely monitor developments with the U.S. Center for Disease Control hourly and will communicate with you as necessary.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joseph Ruggirello
Cambridge Dentistry