Updated April 9, 2020
Dear Patients & Friends,
I know that you all must be feeling the same way I am by now. When can I see my family and friends in person again? When can I go over and hug & kiss my kids and grand kids? I am optimistic that we as a country will beat this virus. Many intelligent people are working on it from every angle, as you know.
In an effort to help control the spread of the coronavirus, and keep you, us, and the community safe, our office is limiting appointments to extreme dental or life threatening dental emergency procedures only until further notice.
This decision is in accordance with the recommendation released by the American Dental Association (ADA) and mandated by the State of California. The timeline is always changing but for right now that means that the State of California will keep us closed until May 3. I hope that changes, but we will have to see next week.
If you have an upcoming hygiene or non-urgent appointment:
Nicole has tried to call everyone about upcoming appointments and has started a list to call you as soon as we know it is safe to start working again.
Our phone lines will remain open for your questions and concerns.
If you are experiencing pain or have any dental emergency, please call our office at 707-257-7771 or Dr. Cecil Lamberton at 707-337-4947 about any concerns or questions you have. We will decide on a case by case how we should deal with your concerns or emergency. Do not hesitate to call.
At our office we have always followed standard universal precautions issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and ADA to help protect every one of our patients and team members. For your peace of mind, these are the precautions we take EVERY time you sit in one of our patient chairs:
- We wear single-use gloves and masks while treating patients.
- We wear protective clothing and launder all of our work clothing on site.
- We place instruments after each use into an autoclave (a high-pressure steam oven) to kill every known infectious organism, including coronavirus.
- We wipe down each dental operatory after each patient visit with a medical-grade surface disinfectant that kills all known infectious diseases, including coronavirus.
- We wash our hands thoroughly between patients.
In addition to the above standard measures, we will be exercising an even higher standard of infection-control in our waiting areas, including removing all magazines, toys, and other items that are difficult to disinfect. And while we love and value each of our patients, handshakes and hugs may be replaced with an “elbow bump” for the time being.
We are looking into additional measures like peroxide and/or saltwater nose & throat rinses for us and you the patient before and after appointments. (Please watch the video from The BaleDoneen Method on how to kill the virus.) We are also looking into outfitting our air systems to follow the CDC guidelines for medical/hospital grade standards which may include negative & positive air pressure filtration/sterilization which would filter, sterilize, and/or draw the virus out of the building including the reception and other non-treatment areas.
While we are doing everything in our power to protect you, we also ask for your cooperation in making our office environment a safe one when you visit us. We ask that you wear a mask until you are in the dental chair. If you have a cough, fever, or chills, please call our office to discuss whether or not you should reschedule. We will be checking temperatures on all patients as they enter and anyone with a reading over 99.9 degrees may be asked to reschedule at least three weeks later as a precaution. Also, to practice social distancing and minimize the number of people in our waiting room, please show up no earlier than 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment and come alone if possible.
We care about each of you and hope that you and your family will remain in good health during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cecil Lamberton & Team
