WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
COVID-19 Dental Safety Plan
*PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY*
Dear Parents,
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we have made numerous changes to help safeguard the health and safety of our patients and staff. We have implemented protocols above and beyond the requirements that are mandated by the Provincial Health Office and the College of Dental Surgeons of BC.
Before your appointment:
- Telephone Screening: when booking your appointment, you will be asked some questions to assess your risk of COVID-19. If you or any family members have been ill or have symptoms of cough, sore throat, fever, sneezing, etc., or have recently returned from an international flight, we ask that you please wait at least 14 days before coming in for a dental appointment.
- Only ONE parent or guardian: We are trying to keep as few people in the clinic as possible.
- Wait in vehicle: please give us a call when you arrive for your appointment and wait in your vehicle until we are ready for you.
When you arrive:
- Masks: A non-medical grade face mask is required to be worn by the accompanying parent/caregiver upon entry to the clinic. Please wear your mask upon entering the clinic.
- Hand disinfection: please disinfect your hands with alcohol hand sanitizer located at the entry to clinic.
- Screening: you will be asked to confirm that you or any family members have NOT been ill or have had symptoms of cough, sore throat, fever, sneezing, etc., and have NOT recently returned from an international flight in the last 14 days.
- Temperature: Your temperature will be taken on arrival. Anyone with a temperature higher than 37.5oC will be denied treatment and referred for COVID-19 testing.
During your appointment:
- Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse: patients will be swabbed with the rinse on a 2×2 gauze before treatment.
- Rubber dam: whenever possible, rubber dam will be used during the dental treatment. This will significantly reduce the risk of contaminated aerosols.
- Air purifiers: we have equipped every operatory room with medical-grade air purifiers designed to remove aerosols as they are generated. These air purifiers have 4 levels of filtration and are equipped with Super HEPA filters that can remove 99.99% of airborne particles >0.1 microns in size (COVID-19 virus is typically 0.12 microns) and contains a UVC light to kill viruses and bacteria.
After your appointment:
- Insurance: we will NO Longer be taking payments from insurance companies. Please see below for further details.
- Payment: credit card/debit payments are encouraged. We want to minimize cash transactions as much as possible.
Additional Protocols:
- All staff members are temperature screened at the beginning of their shift and are confirmed
- daily to be free of any symptoms of covid-19.
- Countertops, door handles, touchable surfaces, etc. are wiped with disinfectants several timesevery hour. Multiple stations of hand sanitizer available throughout office.
- Continued medical grade disinfection and enhanced sterilization to ensure a safe and steriledental procedure.
- Our team will be wearing enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE). This may include N95 masks, surgical grade 3 masks, face shields, gloves, and gowns.
* IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DENTAL INSURANCE *
Starting July 2nd, 2020, we will no longer receive insurance payments on our patient’s behalf (except for patients on government funded plans). Handling insurance payments is a very time-consuming administrative process. By having the insurance policies pay our patients directly, it will greatly simplify payment transactions and free up our receptionists’ time so they can concentrate on patient screening, management, and clinic disinfection. This will ensure a safe environment for everyone.
What does this mean for our patients?
- We will still process and submit the claim to your insurance for you (so there is nothing you need to do)
- But the insurance company will now reimburse you instead of reimbursing us.
- Therefore, the cost of the treatments completed will need to be paid in full at the time of service.
- If you have direct deposit set up, many insurance companies will deposit the payment into your bank account within 24-48 hours, otherwise, it might take 1-2 weeks for a cheque to arrive in the mail.
- We want to emphasize that your coverage stays the same so you will not be paying any more than you normally would.
- If you are experiencing any financial hardship, please reach out to us to discuss.
- What has not changed?
- We will continue to follow the BC provincial fee guide for Specialists in Pediatrics, as we always have.
- We will continue to predetermine insurance estimates for major dental treatments.
- We will be available to help you troubleshoot insurance claims if there are any issues.
Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Diedo and the Kidsteeth Team