In the current climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that our patients may have concerns about returning to a medical setting like Periodontal Associates. Drs Heller, Beckman, Thousand, and Versman have taken the American Dental Association and Colorado Dental Associations recommendations on closing during the past weeks; however, we are eager to return and continue to help our patients achieve great oral health. Drs Heller, Beckman, Thousand, and Versman want to ensure all existing and potential new patients feel safe and comfortable. If you have an upcoming appointment with any of our wonderful doctors and/or hygienists, we will be following rigorous health and safety precautions at our office while providing the same focused care to you, our patients.
When our office reopens in May the following guidelines will be in place:
- Patients will be asked to stay in their vehicle as a virtual waiting room before their appointment for check in. This will help to maintain social distancing within the waiting room, as it is required that patients sit at least six feet or more apart. Also, we ask that patients to come alone unless it is for a surgery that requires a driver.
- Upon arrival, every patient’s temperature will be taken and hand sanitizer or gloves will be provided.
- Our staff, doctors, hygienists, and dental assistants, will follow the Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions, for personal protective equipment including gloves, gowns, protective eyewear.
- Once the patient exits the room, a full surface disinfection will be conducted while staff continues to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Our patients’ oral health is our number one priority and although you may fear returning, it is essential to maintain your hygiene appointments, post op appointments, and to schedule pending treatment. No matter how hard you try to keep your teeth clean and healthy, plaque and tartar will build up around and in between your teeth. These substances need to be professionally removed from your teeth so we can focus on preventative dentistry to decrease your chances of further oral hygiene concerns. If you push off appointments and allow your periodontal issues to advance all the way to Periodontitis you can experience tooth and bone loss due to gum disease. This causes a lot of pain and much more advanced treatment options all the way up to surgery. Moreover, there is a strong link between good oral health and a person’s overall well-being. Thus, there is a connection between periodontal disease and systemic disease or put another way lower immunity. The condition of your teeth and gums can impact just about every system in your body, including circulatory, digestive, reproductive and respiratory systems.
To put this into perspective, if you do not keep up with your oral health your immune system will need to fight off the gum disease in your mouth. If your immune system is fighting your gum disease, you have less resources to fight off the possible COVID-19 virus in other parts of your body. This may seem scary, but it is the reality we are living in right now.
If you have any further questions or concerns please call our office at (303) 755-4500. Drs Heller, Beckman, Thousand, Versman and staff look forward to seeing you soon!