May 25, 2020

Dear Patients,

I hope this finds you and your family in good health! Our community has been through a lot, and all of us are looking forward to resuming a ‘new normal’. We are open! While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety. Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the NC Dental Board. We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example: you’ll be asked to fill out a COVID-19 screening form prior to entering the office, a temperature check will also be taken. Additionally, we will have hand sanitizer that we ask you to use before walking through the front door, and we request you wear a mask of your own at all times. We have closed our waiting room, for social distancing.

Please arrive 15 minutes early to your scheduled appointment time, and call us from your car. We will greet you at your car, with the screening paperwork, hand sanitizer, and take your temperature. Appointments will be staggered to allow for social distancing between patients, and thorough disinfection. We have increased our Personal Protective Equipment, to include face shields and respirator masks, in addition to our usual standard precautions. Our office will be cooler than usual due to the increased PPE we are required to wear, so please consider dressing appropriately for your own comfort.

To improve air quality we have installed the HEPA air purifiers throughout the office, and in each dental operatory. Additionally, we have increased our intraoral suction devices on our dental units to reduce aerosols.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call (919)542-4911 or visit our website at www.chathamdentalarts.com Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Be Well,
Dr. Karen Tiwana