Notice to our patients and colleagues:
May 1, 2020
Dear Patients and Colleagues,
In accordance with Governor DeWine’s framework, we are performing elective treatment in addition to the emergency care provided during the Coronavirus shutdown.
As always, our primary concern is the safety of our staff and patients while delivering the best care possible. As such, we created an Office COVID-19 Handbook that follows all of the guidelines issued by the CDC, OSHA, American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. The handbook outlines the changes in office policy to continue to provide oral surgery in a safe environment. These changes include:
- Phone screening
- We are limiting office-based treatment to asymptomatic patients, while individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID or COVID positive patients will be evaluated and treated in a hospital setting if emergent care is necessary.
- Increased clinical hours and adjusted patient scheduling
- We are limiting the number of patients in the office at any given time to promote social distancing and allow for more time between procedures for office disinfection.
- Altered waiting room layout
- The waiting room has been reconfigured for social distancing and common items, such as magazines, office literature, and the Keurig, have been removed.
- Additional disinfection of common areas
- The lobby, bathroom, check-in surfaces, etc. will be wiped with disinfectant hourly.
- Limited number and duration of people in the waiting room
- We are limiting the number of escorts to 1 per patient, who may be asked to wait in their vehicle during patient treatment. Upon arrival to the office, the patient may be immediately escorted to an available room rather than sit in the lobby during registration. Please complete all intake paperwork (https://www.drewig.com/registration/) prior to arrival and have your medical and dental insurance information readily available to expedite these measures.
- Masks and hand hygiene
- Upon arrival to the office, all individuals, including staff, will be asked to wear a mask, have their temperature obtained, and wash their hands.
- Oral rinses
- Patients will be asked to rinse with a dilute peroxide solution in addition to our typical antimicrobial rinse prior to procedures to minimize viral aerosolization in asymptomatic, COVID positive patients.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- We are following every recommendation from the CDC, OSHA, and dental societies regarding personal protective equipment (PPE). For procedures, this includes donning gloves, disposable gowns, hair coverings, N95 masks and/or respirators, eye protection, and face shields. While we miss face-to-face conversations and regret the obstruction of most facial cues by this protective equipment, we are making every attempt to minimize any COVID exposure within the office.
- Office employee exposure protocol
- The doctors and staff will follow all of the CDC’s guidelines for viral exposure and self-isolation.
Thank you for trusting our office with your care. We are blessed to take care of you and enjoy the ability to practice full-scope Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery again! We appreciate your understanding and support of the policy changes we have implemented at this time. If you have more questions regarding these steps, feel free to reach out to our office (937-423-8083) for more information.
Kindest Regards,
Jon R. Ewig, DDS
Steven Cudney, DMD