We hope you and your loved ones continue to be well in this difficult time. The last several weeks have been marked by unexpected and severe limitations for all of us. The current infection figures give us reason to hope that we can now gradually begin to return to normality, even if things have certainly changed.

It is important to us to live up to our responsibility and be there for our patients. Even though it was difficult, we kept our practice running the whole time.

A few weeks ago, we decided to limit our appointments to acutely needed treatments to support the fight against the coronavirus. Like society at large, we will now begin heading on a gradual path back to normal everyday life. The appointments that we cancelled have been sorted according to their importance and we have begun the process of rescheduling them. If you currently have an acute problem, you are more than welcome to contact us at our office.

We have adapted the information given to us by the MDS regarding the coronavirus, and you will find more detailed descriptions of the various safety precautions we are taking further down this document. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We wish you continued good health and a safe, gradual return to normality.

Information on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

We are facing this health crisis with due care and respect, but also calm and professionalism. We are observing and assessing the situation regarding COVID-19 very closely.

The health of our patients and employees of our practice is our highest priority. In general, as a medical practice, we regularly and professionally deal with protection against infections. We are all appropriately trained and technically prepared for this situation.

Due to the worldwide health crisis caused by COVID-19, we have adapted many procedures in our practice. We ask that you pay close attention to the following information.

Scheduling

• If you have any acute problems, please call us in advance. We will then try to identify the cause of the problem as precisely as possible by telephone before then scheduling you an appointment for any necessary treatment.
• If multiple appointments are necessary, we will try to combine then into one appointment if possible. Personal Care
• If you are experiencing any noted symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, breathing problems, muscle pain, nausea), please contact us in advance of your appointment by telephone. We will then assess the situation together.
• If possible, we recommend that you take your temperature at home before a planned appointment. A temperature of up to 99.32°F is normal.
• If you have been infected, dental treatment is possible again from 4 weeks after the infection is detected, and you are no longer showing symptoms.
• As with influenza and any other acute respiratory infections, the rules for coughing and sneezing, good hand hygiene, and distance from the sick also protect against transmission of the novel coronavirus. Shaking hands should be avoided. And in general, people who have respiratory symptoms should stay at home.

Arriving at our office

• All patients will be screened twice per appointment. Once by phone on the day the appointment is made, and again on the day of the appointment when they arrive at the practice.
• When entering our practice, we will be taking the temperature of all persons with a non-contact clinical thermometer. This applies to both patients and to the staff of the practice.
• If you are not wearing gloves, please disinfect your hands when entering the practice. Appropriate disinfectant dispensers are available for use at the front desk, as well as in each of the operatories.
• In order to comply with current social distancing guidelines, certain areas of our waiting room will be sectioned off to allow for safer patient placement as well as reducing the number of patients occupying the area.
• We ask that all patients call us once they arrive in the parking lot for their appointment. Please wait in your car, and we will come escort you.
• All hygiene appointments will be altered slightly in order to better conform to current safety measures. Before a cleaning, each patient will be required to have a pre-procedural hydrogen peroxide rinse, and we will now limit cleanings to selective polishing only.
• We ask that you arrive for your appointment on time to avoid any long wait times.

Safety precautions that we are taking for our patients

• We will have plexiglass shields installed at our front desk to avoid contact between the front desk employees and the patients.
• Our waiting room is cleaned and sanitized daily, and the patient restroom is sanitized after each use.
• All payment portals and styluses at the front desk are disinfected after each use, and we ask that any pens that are used should either be thrown away or kept by each patient.
• All operatory chairs are fitted with plastic coverings for easy sanitation after each patient.
• HEPA filters have been installed in the waiting room and in each of the operatories to aid in reducing any airborne pathogens.
• We’re fogging and sanitizing our entire office every hour.
• Hand sanitation dispensers can be found throughout the entire office, at the front desk and in each of our operatories.
• Employees and patients are required to wear some manner of facial covering, as appropriate.
• Upon arrival for work each day, all employees are required to take their temperature and a symptom check, in order to insure a healthy and safe workplace.

Despite these difficulties, we still look positively towards the future. Together we will overcome this crisis and better times will follow. From all of us here at Dr. Song’s office, we look forward to seeing you all soon. Thank you for your patience and continued support of our practice.