OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19

On May 4, 2020, our office resumed regular, in-person appointments and dental procedures. This re-opening came with well thought out precautionary measures to ensure we continue to provide all of our patients and staff a safe and healthy environment, which is our highest priority. New, enhanced procedures and protocols are in place so that you can get in-person care as safely and effectively as possible. We are aware that the pandemic crisis is constantly changing and new information is always being released. Our dentists and team have been staying informed and up to date with all of these changes, especially in the ways that affect dentistry.  We can assure you that every decision that is being made in our office is being made purposefully and educationally. We are so excited to continue moving forward and maintaining everyone’s oral healthcare!

We understand that you have many different questions regarding our COVID-19 office policies. Read below for some Frequently Asked Questions and responses to these question in order to help answer any possible questions you may have. We are so thankful and blessed to have such a great community to work with through this time and we appreciate all of you so much.  Continue to stay safe and healthy!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it really ok to go to the dentist during this pandemic?

The government, health organizations and the ADA understand that it is important that dental offices are able to offer preventative care and treatment for early forms of dental disease, so that patients’ untreated disease will not progress and increase the complexity and cost for treatment down the road. Dentistry, while the majority of the time does not include life threatening problems, is a major contributor to comprehensive health, and when compromised can lead to other health complications or a lower quality of life. Maintaining good oral health helps with good overall health, which is imperative in this current pandemic time. Dentists have been experts in infection control for many decades and are used to preparing offices for infection disease control. We understand the importance of our industry and its contribution to overall health and are very capable of adapting to health standards over time so that we can remain available to patients. We completely understand if you still have concerns, however, we encourage you to call our office and discuss them with us. We’d be happy to help put your mind at ease!

What is New Haven Dental doing to help keep me safe at my dental appointment?

We have spent countless hours looking over CDC, ADA, MDA, and state and county government guidelines. We make all decisions based on the most factual recommendations that we have available at the current time. We have always worked hard to deliver the highest standard of care, which we plan on continuing to do. Some things that you might notice we are doing differently in the office now and for the foreseeable future are:

• Increased staff personal protective equipment: This is for the staff members’ safety as well as all patients’ safety.
• Increased health screening of all staff and patients: Every patient will be asked, before their appointment, screening questions to determine if they have possibly been exposed to COVID-19 as well as get their temperature taken. If a person has a fever or answers yes to the screening questions, we will reschedule them at no charge. At the beginning of each workday, the entire New Haven Dental staff is taking their temperatures as well, and know that if we have anything contagious, we will not come into work until we are healthy as well.
• Routine hourly disinfection of waiting room, bathrooms, and door handles
• Increased control of aerosol reduction: We are using FDA approved barrier devices whenever possible and high-speed evacuation suctioning during every aerosol producing procedure. We are VERY excited to announce that the hygienists have a new suctioning device that will be used in your cleaning appointments that has been proven to reduce aerosol introduction by 90%!
• Making sure only the necessary amount of people are in our office building at the same time: We ask that you don’t bring anyone with you to your appointments unless absolutely necessary to help with mobility or financial decisions. We also are requesting that anyone that is not currently sitting in a chair to have dental work done sit out in their car. We will not be utilizing the waiting room until further notice.
• Increasing use of “paperless” documentation and communication: We will be asking all patients that can to complete all paperwork online before their appointment if at all possible. For those unable to do this, we will have you complete the paperwork in the dental chair before your appointment. We are also asking that you text or call the office to let us know you are here for your appointment, and wait in your car until we are ready for you, rather than coming in and checking.

What can I expect when I get to my dental appointment?

• When you arrive, we ask you to text or call us to let us know you are at the office. Then just wait in your car until we call or text you back and ask you to come inside. 
• When you come into the office, your hygienist or assistant will be waiting for you at the waiting room door. They will ask you screening questions again and take your temperature.
• Once you are cleared, you will be taken back to the dental chair. Before you sit down, we will have you wash your hands and rinse with hydrogen peroxide for one minute. Hydrogen peroxide has not been proven to kill COVID-19, but it does reduce bacteria and viruses in the mouth and has been backed by the CDC and ADA as an acceptable, absolutely harmless precautionary measure.
• After your dental procedure we will have you wash your hands again before leaving the room.

Is there anything else New Haven Dental would like me to know?

• We are asking everyone to communicate with us through text if they can. This is because there will be a large increase in phone traffic over the next few months to aid in social distancing practices. We understand if you need to call, we just ask you to text if you can.
• We are asking you to reschedule your appointment if you think you are sick with anything contagious. Not just with COVID-19, but anything that could possibly be transmitted to another patient or staff member. We will not charge you a cancellation fee if you call in sick and reschedule your appointment. During this current time, we all need to help each other stay healthy.
• Our staff will have full coverage personal protective equipment on at all time, so you will not need to worry about social distancing with us, but while you are in the office, please attempt social distancing with other patients whenever you can. Our staff will be constantly communicating to direct you and others, to prevent crowded hallways and allow everyone to maintain 6 feet of distance.
• Since our staff has an increased level of PPE on, the office is COLDER than usual to prevent staff overheating. Please bring your own blanket or coat to your dental appointment, so that you can stay comfortable in the chair. We do not have any blankets or types of coverage to provide you.
• Please do not ask us if we can give you any masks, gloves, or other personal protective equipment. The shortage of this equipment is still a very large problem in the country and we need to conserve all of our supplies in our office so that we can remain open in the future to continue to serve you in the safest way possible.

At New Haven Dental, we value our patient relationships, making it our priority to deliver gentle, compassionate care that you deserve.  We work hard to create the ultimate stress-free and comfortable dental experience.  By using the latest dental technology in our state-of-the-art building, our experienced and dedicated staff will provide you with exceptional dental care.  The result is a beautiful and healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.  We believe that patients should have sufficient information to make educated decisions about their oral health and treatment options.  You'll find all of this important information on our website.

Our services include:

• General Dentistry
• Implants
• Crowns
• Teeth Whitening
• Preventative Care

Discover a new dental experience at New Haven Dental!  We look forward to caring for you and your family's dental needs.

Vision Statement

We will work in harmony as a team, to build trusting relationships with our patients, and exceed expectations by delivering the highest quality of dental care this community will ever see.

We will continue to build a legacy for generations to come!