Reopening Info
To our wonderful patients:
We hope this message finds you well amid the current climate of uncertainty we are facing. Needless to say, we are all affected in unprecedented ways by the events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. On local, state, national, and international levels, we are in uncharted territory. Our intention in this message is to inform you of the many steps we are now taking at our office to best serve you, and to ensure optimal levels of health and safety as we navigate this situation together. Please read ALL of this and pardon the length … it’s more important for us to be thorough than brief!
First, please know we are working diligently to get everyone rescheduled, and we cannot wait to see everyone again!
Since the news and developments regarding COVID-19 are changing very rapidly, this is an admittedly imperfect message that can and will be updated as often as necessary to keep you up to date. Please check our social media, as well as your e-mail for any changes. We are fully committed to minimizing risks to you and our excellent dental team members, as well as to all of our families and friends.
Effective immediately, the following conditions and protocols are in place at Michael Whitecar, D.D.S.:
1. We will be seeing patients beginning the week of June 15th, during our standard operating hours. Any potential adjustments of office hours will be communicated as necessary. Existing patients, as well as new patients are welcome, as long as they are free of any symptoms of illness.
2. The NEW “Car-to-Chair” protocol for our patients is now active. When you arrive for your scheduled appointment, we kindly request that you text us at 410-210-4416 to inform us of your arrival. If you’re unable to text, then call us at 410-337-8909. In order to avoid having patients sitting together in our reception area, we ask that you wait in the comfort of your car or outside until your treatment room is ready. Once your room has been prepared and disinfected, we will call you, meet you at the door and escort you to your room.
3. Our STANDARD sterilization and infection control practices already exceed state and federal guidelines. In addition, we are taking extra measures to protect everyone. We will be disinfecting the entire office by fogging, which creates a mist that cleans all surfaces with a gas vapor that is safe for humans. We will also be using a purification system for filtrating the air. Our dental masks offer extremely high levels of protection against the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses. Additionally, we will be wearing face shields.
4. Other precautionary measures include instructing all patients to wash or sanitize their hands upon entering the office. A team member will take your temperature (forehead), and you will be asked to rinse with a peroxide-based mouthwash before your cleaning and/or treatment. We also ask that when walking around the office, you protect yourselves and others by wearing a mask. We have removed all magazines from the office to prevent the spread of germs. Hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial soap are abundant throughout the office, for your convenience.
5. You will be required to fill out a short screening questionnaire prior to your visit. If you or someone in your family is currently or has experienced ANY symptoms of illness (including fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms) during the last 14 days before your scheduled appointment, please notify us as soon as possible. We will happily reschedule your appointment to a future date. You will incur no additional costs or fees due to any rescheduling as a result of your health condition, or that of a family member.
6. If you happen to know of any family members, friends, co-workers or neighbors who are unable to see their own dentist because of limited availability - AND they have been symptom free for at least 2 weeks - we would be happy to see them for any necessary treatment in our office, subject to appointment availability. We will happily refer them back to their regular dentist after completion of their requested dental treatment. Our purpose here is to serve others who may be in need of care.
Our amazing dental team wants to THANK YOU for entrusting us with caring for your oral health! We value our relationships with you, and we assure you that we are doing everything we can to continue to provide you with excellent, safe experiences in our office. We are also dedicated to protecting your health, and the health of all those in our community and beyond.
If you have ANY questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the following methods:
Phone: 410-337-8909
Email: mwhitecardds@gmail.com
When facing these challenging and uncertain times, we can overcome virtually anything when we all work together. We will emerge from this stronger, wiser and better prepared for the next challenges that come our way!