Should you visit our dentist office during COVID-19?

The continued COVID-19 pandemic has created a difficult situation for dentists and patients alike.  It’s become difficult to get professional dental care, and many people are not taking care of their oral health like they should.  As dentists we want to see our patients again to make sure their smiles are being taken care of.  We completely understand your hesitancy to visit our clinic, but patient safety is our number one priority and our Burlington dentist office is open for you.

As dentists we have always used our extensive training in areas of infection prevention to keep you safe and have increased our safety procedures during this pandemic.  Dental offices have always been highly sterilized places and now added safety measures and extra PPE (personal protective equipment) are helping keep our patients safe.  Our dental offices have also made changes to the waiting rooms and appointment protocol, are offering advanced screenings and are verifying patient’s health with touchless thermometers.

It’s important to stay on top of your oral health during the pandemic as problems can easily get worse, becoming harder and more expensive to treat. Regular appointments are required to keep your mouth healthy and to catch any problems early – that hasn’t changed.

Our dental clinics are open and we are seeing patients under the strict COVID-19 safety guidelines as laid out by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO).  You can find the updated safety guidelines here:  https://www.rcdso.org/en-ca/patients-general-public/covid-19–novel-coronavirus-for-patients

We are committed to keeping our Burlington dental office open

Booking an appointment is easy.  Simply use the contact form found on our website found here: https://martindaledental.com/contact-us/

We also offer a Live Chat option accessible from any page on our website and phone call options for rapid assistance during regular office hours.

What is visiting a dentist during COVID-19 like?

Visiting our office during this pandemic is a bit different from you might be used to as we follow the updated safety guidelines from our governing body, the RCDSO.  To help explain how to visit a dentist during the pandemic, we’ve outline what you can expect during your next appointment:

• All appointment times are spaced out to allow physical distancing and disinfecting procedures to be carried out between patient visits. While this may mean appointment times are less flexible, it does help keep everyone safe.
• We perform COVID-19 screening as patients arrive at our dental office, including use of a touchless thermometer to take our patients temperature.
• Patients must wear a mask or suitable face covering while in the clinic except during treatment. Our staff and your dentist will be wearing a mask and more PPE than usual.
• We ask that patients come to their appointment alone if possible. If patients require assistance, their caregiver will also be screened and must follow the same safety guidelines.
• Depending on your appointment time, we may ask that you call our office when you arrive as you may need to wait outside the waiting room until we have space to safely bring you inside.
• Our waiting rooms will ensure physical distancing is maintained and there will be none of the usual magazines, toys, or any other non-essential items available.
• We ask all our patients to disinfect their hands using a 70-90% alcohol-based solution (provided) upon entering and leaving our office.
• All payments for appointments will be done via touchless payment. We do not accept cash or cheque at this time.

If you have made an appointment with our dentist in Burlington but have flu-like symptoms, or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, we urge you to stay home and get in touch with us to reschedule your appointment. 

Visiting the dentist safely is possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, so don’t let your oral health slip.  Contact our office to schedule an appointment or for any inquiries you may have.

From all of us at Martindale Dental, please stay healthy and stay safe.

We hope to see you again soon!