COVID-19 Updates
Thank you to all our patients and their families for your continued patience with the rapid changes and delays that have been occurring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that you are staying well in this difficult time.
Our practice is committed to providing safe care to all of our patients during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining as much access to care as possible. We are staying up to date with the latest advice from the Victorian Government and the Australian Dental Association, and adjusting our processes as necessary. Due to our vulnerable patient base, in some situations we are practising at a higher level of precautions than recommended.
For your safety, the following changes have been made to our services.
Clinic appointments
1. Before your appointment
- When we confirm your appointment we will ask the following COVID-19 screening questions:
- Have you had any contact with a known/suspected COVID-19 case in the past 14 days?
- Have you had any COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. fever, dry cough, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, aches and pains, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, a rash on the fingers or toes, shortness of breath, chest pain) in the past 14 days?
- Have you been interstate, overseas or visited a COVID exposure site in the past 14 days?
- We ask that you call to reschedule your appointment if you can answer yes to any of the above questions.
- If you have access to a thermometer, we request that you check your temperature before your appointment to ensure that it is less than 37.5°C.
2. At your appointment
- Please stay in your car until we come out to get you.
- Call the clinic on 9877 8035 to let us know you have arrived.
- We will ask the COVID-19 screening questions.
- We will check your temperature with a infra-red thermometer. If your temperature is above 37.5°C, we will need to reschedule the appointment and you will be advised to get a COVID-19 test.
- You will be asked to check in with a with a QR code and use a hand sanitiser when you enter the clinic.
- We will record the contact details of any people who attend the clinic with the patient.
- Patients will be asked to use a mouthwash for 1 minute. If you are unable to rinse, we will do a swab of the mouth with the mouth wash.
- If an aerosol or droplet-generating procedure is performed, the person accompanying the patient will be asked to leave the room.
3. Other measures
- We are limiting dental procedures in accordance with ADA recommendations or higher.
- Mobile Dental Service visits are being limited to places where we are able to maintain enhanced infection control.
- We have updated our cleaning schedule so that high-touch surfaces are cleaned regularly. The surgery air is filtered, and the surgery is cleaned twice between patients.
- We are allowing additional time between appointments for cleaning.
- Our staff have a temperature test every morning and are not permitted to come to work if they have any COVID-like symptoms.
- We have altered our PPE (personal protective equipment). We are wearing masks in non-clinical areas and changing gowns between patients.
- Hand sanitiser is available around the clinic, office and waiting room areas.
- We have adjusted our surgery, waiting room, staff room and office areas to encourage social distancing and reduce surfaces which could harbour virus particles.
- We have implemented a Teledentistry service.
Mobile Dental Service
Patients at residential care facilities will not be seen in their own rooms to assist with maintaining infection control. We will arrange for patients to be seen in a clean treatment room. We are limiting travel to places were we are able to operate within the enhanced infection control guidelines recommended by the Australian Dental Association (ADA). There will also be restrictions on certain services based on an individual risk assessment as well as recommendations by the ADA.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is currently unavailable.
General Anaesthesia
Waiting times for general anaesthetics are currently uncertain. You may be asked to have a COVID-19 test and to isolate for 3 days prior to the procedure. You may be asked to fill out paperwork for more than one hospital, in order for us to provide you with care as quickly as possible.
If you have any further questions or concerns about the changes we have implemented, please don’t hesitate to contact us.