The Only Thing That is Constant is Change
As a wise man once said, “the only thing that is constant is change.” We are living in strange times, and our lives are changed now in a way that we can’t imagine. I wasn’t alive during The Great Depression, but I can imagine that the differences in life before and after 1929 were monumental. My mother-in-law grew up in the depression, and she often refers to herself as a child of that time. She uses this moniker to explain why she does things in a certain way or reacts to a situation in the way that she does. That era had a profound effect on her. I am sure that our current situation will have a similar impact on us.
How Will the Pandemic Change My Visit?
We hear and read about a new normal. We need to go to this new way of life to get a semblance of the daily life that we had a little more than a month ago. At that time, there was no confinement. To escape self-quarantine, we need to change what we do and how we do it. We have made sacrifices this spring that will go away in the future, but not soon. We will return to our lives, but they will appear differently.
New Health Protocols For Our Practice
As we move toward opening up our practice to serve and take care of our patients, we’ve instituted many new health protocols. I would like to take a few moments to outline our new way of life, so you know what we have done to ensure your safety as well as ours.
1. Interview/Questions:
Before we let you in the office, we interview you and ask for a brief history of events that may have compromised your health. We have an infrared no-touch thermometer for even more information.
2. Social distancing:
We are keeping everyone apart. I have reduced the patient flow. Fortunately, we have a large office, and maintaining patients apart is easy for us to do.
3. Empty reception room:
Our front area is very large, and we will have no more than two people in that room. Ideally, we will ask you to wait in your car, and we will call you in at the proper time.
4. Sanitizing:
Since we are a healthcare facility, we understand sterilization and cleanliness. As a matter of course, we clean all equipment, common areas, and instruments of bacteria, spores, and viruses. We do this routinely, and you would expect no less from us.
5. Protection:
Of course, we wash our hands frequently. Handwashing is not new for us. Since we work in the mouth where droplets which could carry danger are present, we cover our faces masks to protect both of us. The use of N95 masks makes our face coverings even more effective. I have added face shields, which is a challenge with my surgical glasses and headlamp. I am involved with a local manufacturer to test these shields in a dental office.
6. Keeping up with new research:
As science learns more about this pandemic, I will update and implement safety measures and health protocols into our practice. Keeping up with the latest research is fundamentally important for everyone’s safety.
We’re Here For You
As you can see, we have a new normal with the goal of providing excellent care in the safest environment possible. As I mentioned in other columns, our office is open to answer questions and help you treat your emergencies and pain. Don’t hesitate to call Megan at 440.951.7856. As always, she will help you and advise you as to your best course of action. Stay healthy and stay upbeat. We will get through this together.
Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine in the Department of Comprehensive Care.