COVID-19

 

Drummond Dental Group COVID-19 Protocol

Safety Measures Implemented in Our Dental Office

 

Contents:

1.    Training and Educating Our Team

2.    Recommendations for Our Team

3.    Measures Upon Arrival

4.    Measures Taken Upon Patient Entry to the Clinic

5.    Reception Room and Front Desk Safety Measures

6.    Protocols of the Clinical Team

7.    Patients in the Operatory

8.    Protocols After the Clinical Treatment


 

Safety Measures in Our Dental Practice 

1. Training and Educating Our Team

One of the most important things we are doing during this time is to train and educate our staff. 

  • Our team has had refresher training in proper hand washing techniques. This may seem basic; however, it is the most important thing we can do to prevent spread of the virus yet research shows that it is often poorly complied with and usually not done well.  Consequently, we have spent a lot of time ensuring that our team does it well, especially before and after every patient encounter.
  • They have practiced the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) prior to caring for a patient to prevent contamination.
  • We encourage our staff that is not feeling well to proactively stay home for 2 weeks (We have a backup team if someone is ill).
  • We have everyone in the office take their temperature at the beginning of every day and we will immediately send home anyone with an elevated temperature.
  • Limit the numbers of staff providing their care to facilitate social distancing within the office and among team members.
  • We have created a specific checklist of recommendation for our team to follow so that they arrive to work healthy and go home to their families without worry. (see Checklist of Recommendations for Our Team)


2. Recommendations for Our Team


Before Coming to Work:

  • Take temperature.
  • Remove watch and rings and leave them at home.
  • Tie hair up, keep nails short.
  • Avoid extra accessories.
  • Place phone in a Ziploc bag that you will discard at the end of the day.
  • If bringing a lunch, place in disposable wrapping.
  • Bring work clothes in a washable bag (i.e. pillow case).


At work:

  • Change into scrubs and work shoes (preferable plastic and wipeable) as soon as you arrive.
  • Use PPE as appropriate.
  • Leave all clutter (pens, phones, etc.) outside of patient op rooms.
  • We discourage workers from using other worker’s phones, desks, offices and other work tools and equipment when possible.
  • Clean phone handset after use.
  • Discourage cell phone use at work.


After work:

  • Wash hands and arms with soap.
  • Remove scrubs and place in washable bag or leave at work.
  • Wash hands and put clean clothes on.
  • Sanitize phone, glasses, etc.
  • Wash hands again.


At Home:

  • Do not touch anything.
  • Remove shoes and clothes.
  • Wash clothes/scrubs in washing machine with detergent and hot water.
  • Shower with soap and water.
  •  

3. Safety Measures Immediately Before Treatment


Patients are:

  • Escorted into an examination room with the door closed as quickly as possible upon arrival to avoid lingering in front office.
  • Asked to rinse with a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution before each appointment.
  • Asked about the presence of symptoms of a respiratory infection and history of travel or contact with possible COVID-19 patients.

 

4. Measures Taken Upon Patient Entry to the Clinic

  • If an examination room is not readily available, ensure social distancing in the waiting room by placing seating a minimum of 6 feet apart.
  •  Remove all clutter and anything that is not easily disinfected from the waiting room (magazines, area rugs, pillows, toys, etc).
  • Cover all furniture which cannot be disinfected with disposable covers (including chairs and couches) which will be replaced after each patient.
  • Frequent wipe down of waiting rooms, bathrooms, door handles, tables, light switches, computers etc.

 

5. Reception Room and Front Desk Safety Measures

  • Install physical barriers or partitions (e.g., glass or plastic windows) if possible, at reception areas to limit close contact between reception and potentially infectious patients.
  • Headphone use is encouraged, so hands are free and only one person uses it.

  

6. Protocols of the Clinical Team


We adhere to usual standard and transmission-based precautions in operatory but with greater attention to detail and ensure that procedures are followed consistently and correctly. 


Hand Hygiene is performed by our staff

  • Before and after all patient contact, contact with potentially infectious material, and before putting on and after removing personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves.
  • After removing PPE in order to remove any pathogens that might have been transferred to bare hands during the removal process.
  • Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.


Personal Protective Equipment

  • Wear PPE (masks, gloves, cap, eye protection, face shields, gowns).
  • Masks are one time use and replaced if soiled.


Eye Protection

  • Put on eye protection (i.e., goggles or a disposable face shield that covers the front and sides of the face) upon entry to the patient room or care area.
  • Remove eye protection before leaving the patient room or care area.
  • Reusable eye protection (e.g., goggles) must be cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer’s reprocessing instructions prior to re-use.
  • Disposable eye protection should be discarded after use.


Gloves

  • Put on clean gloves upon entry into the patient room or care area after hand hygiene.
  • Change gloves if they become torn or heavily contaminated.
  • Remove and discard gloves when leaving the patient room or care area, and immediately perform hand hygiene.


Gowns

  • Put on a clean isolation gown upon entry into the patient room or area.
  • Change the gown if it becomes soiled. Remove and discard the gown in a dedicated area and container.

 

7. Patients in the Operatory

  • Clinical staff should strictly follow basic infection control practices between patients (e.g., hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting shared equipment).
  • Limit transport and movement of the patient outside of the room.
  • No other team member should enter the room during a procedure and if necessary, should use PPE as described above.
  • Room doors should be kept closed except when entering or leaving the room, and entry and exit should be minimized.
  • The room should undergo appropriate cleaning and surface disinfection before it is returned to routine use.

 

8. Protocols After the Clinical Treatment

  • All non-disposable medical equipment used for patient care should be cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Ensure that environmental cleaning and disinfection procedures are followed consistently and correctly.
  • Routine cleaning and disinfection procedures using disinfectant spray to pre-clean surfaces prior to applying hospital-grade disinfectant wipes to frequently touched surfaces or objects.
  • Room air purification systems have been purchased and will be used to fully turn over the air in each operatory between every patient. These purifiers use hospital-grade ultraviolet technology to kill infectious pathogens including coronaviruses.

 

Safety Measures After the Visit

  • Encourage payment by PayPass when possible to encourage social distancing with front desk.
  • Review of estimates and insurance forms can be carried out via phone call and sent via email.
  • Patients will be given hand sanitizer before leaving the office.


At the End of the Day

  • A special cleaning crew will clean and disinfect the office in preparation for the following day.

 

We are confident that these guidelines will help to create a safe environment for all of our patients and team members and hope that you can feel secure in the knowledge that we are doing everything in our power to provide the safest clinical conditions in order to protect our patients, our team and our families.

 

 

 

 

 

1538 Rue Sherbrooke O Suite 300,
Montréal, QC H3G 1L5, Canada
  (514) 842-7311         info@drummonddental.com

Office Location

  • Montreal
  • 1538 Rue Sherbrooke O Suite 300
  • (corner Guy)
  • Montreal, QC
  • H3G1L5
  • Map & Directions
  • Call: (514) 842-7311