How Airway and Sleep Group is keeping patients safe

Safety Precautions and Adjustments to office procedures due to COVID-19

It has been over a year since the coronavirus pandemic forced the public to suspend routine care and non-essential dentists visits. During that time, it has shown that patients who delayed or avoided seeking necessary care have experienced adverse outcomes upon delaying or avoiding seeing health providers.

Since reopening, dentist offices like Airway and Sleep Group has made a number of modifications to their operating procedures. Changing the way that businesses operate ensures the safety and well-being of their patients to allow access to care for routine and emergency care while adhering to new state and local guidelines in place to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Changes to Scheduling

To adhere to state and local guidelines, Airway and Sleep Group patient flow is limited to 30% of original capacity daily. This ensures that there is no contact between patient families. Patient are also instructed to wait in their cars until his or her appointment time. This ensures a minimal amount of respiratory droplets from collecting in waiting rooms and the guarantees the immediate disinfection medical procedures after each visit. Individual, non-shared spaces, separated by drywall, are used for patient visits instead of the usual open bay orthodontic office designs.

Air Purifiers

Each operatory, or dental working space, has a ventilation system with high evacuation aerosol units per operatory at Airway and Sleep Group. Airway and Sleep Group’s ventilation system is designed to limit the spread of the virus as there are different risk factors associated with contraction of the virus in indoor spaces. Having the air continuously ventilated adds another level of protection for their patients and staff to address these concerns.

Face Masks for All at All Times

Though wearing a mask yourself may offer only a little bit of protection from contracting the virus, it is most important that those around you are wearing masks to prevent the exchange of air droplets. Airway and Sleep Group ensures that everyone, staff and patients, wear a mask to protect from exposure.

COVID-19 Screening and Temperature Checks

Patients must submit a complete COVID-19 questionnaire PRIOR  to their visit each day of orthodontic care/ evaluation. If the questionnaire is not submitted prior to visit, the appointment will be cancelled for that day, with the corresponding fee for cancellation. The fee is waived if the patient is sick. Airway and Sleep Group also limits the exchange of physical paperwork using online questionnaires available at airwayandsleepgroup.com. Airway and Sleep Group also monitors and records the temperature of every patient entering the office. Patients are informed to reschedule if anyone in the family is experiencing symptoms of sickness.

Teledentistry

Telemedicine appointments are available to enable patients to acquire advice and treatment without physical face-to-face interaction. And if a physical face-to-face appointment is necessary, Airway and Sleep Group organizes each physical meeting using a limited time at the office per patient.

Airway and Sleep Group Wants to Keep You Safe

Dr. Liliana Calkins of Airway and Sleep Group wants to keep every patient safe and have implemented these measures to ensure access to care while addressing patients’ concerns about the risk of seeking care. You shouldn’t feel the need to forego emergency care or make a point to not see your dentist for regular checkups due to fear of the virus. Delaying care or foregoing care could lead to detrimental effects to your health and loved ones. If you are unsure about whether or not you need to schedule an appointment, you can schedule a telemedicine appointment with Airway and Sleep Group at any time by calling 571-244-7329.