Even as the country slowly begins to reopen in the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s essential to remember that social distancing is still the best way to keep ourselves and our communities safe. But how can you maintain six feet of distance from others if you need to go in for dental care? Thankfully, your Lincoln dentist has established numerous additional safety precautions to keep their patients and staff healthy in the pandemic. Here’s how they’re preventing the spread of germs and encouraging social distancing within their practice.
Sequenced Patient Scheduling
Before you even arrive to the office, your dental team is working hard to safeguard your health. To limit how many people are in the practice at one time, they are utilizing sequenced scheduling and seeing fewer patients each day. This allows more time for cleaning and physical space for coming and going between patients. While you may be offered fewer options when calling to make your appointment, this important measure minimizes your exposure to others and lowers your risk of getting sick.
Touch-Free Greetings Only
While your dental team is thrilled to welcome you back to the office, they won’t be giving out the friendly handshakes or hugs you may be accustomed to. A crucial part of social distancing and infection control is limiting close proximity to others. Since COVID-19 can survive on a variety of surfaces for long periods of time, it can easily be transmitted from one person to another via their hands. To prevent the spread of germs while saying hello, your dentist will be using creative no-touch greetings throughout the pandemic.
Changes to the Reception Area
You won’t be spending very much time in the reception area, but you may notice that there have been several changes made there as well, including:
- Fewer available chairs, more helpful signs, and one-way traffic areas to facilitate maintaining six feet of distance.
- Toys, magazines, and other frequently touched items have been removed to prevent any lingering particles.
- New clear plastic barriers that have been strategically placed to hinder the movement of airborne particles.
Encouraging social distancing within their practice is just one of many new infection control protocols your Lincoln dentist is using to prevent the spread of germs. While these extra precautions may seem a little unusual at first, they go a long way in keeping you, your dental team, and your community safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the Practice
Dr. Louis Olberding of Olberding Dental has been helping keep the community of Lincoln, NE healthy with excellent dental care for nearly 20 years now. Now and always, his top priorities are the health and safety of his patients and staff. Alongside the ambitious sanitation standards set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that he has always met, 15 additional precautions have been added to his normal infection control protocols. If you’d like to learn more about his Commitment to Safety, feel free to contact him via his website or at (402) 488-2325.