WE ARE OPEN AND HERE FOR YOU 

SAN FRANCISCO DENTAL has remained singularly focused on offering service of unwavering safety and quality to generations of families since the office's founding in the mid-80's. We hope this message finds you and the loved ones you have entrusted us to care for doing well.

Covid-19 has proven a formidable enemy, challenging established notions of preventive care and well being. My team and I are proud to play a significant role in helping patients reach and sustain optimal oral health through a collaborative, cooperative and proven, forward-leaning approach.

In light of the historic times in which we find ourselves, I am pleased to share important developments designed to positively impact ongoing operations at our office on an ongoing basis. This particular email (the fourth in our series) highlights the following areas that have been carefully and thoughtfully re-engineered over the past 6 months:

• SAFETY - ENHANCED COVID PROTECTION & PREVENTION PROTOCOLS

• ADMINISTRATION -PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ESTABLISHED CONCIERGE BILLING SERVICE PROVIDER

• SERVICE - SUPPORTING OTHER ESSENTIAL AND FRONTLINE WORKERS

The email ends with an important update on Kelly James Rossi, our beloved, longtime schedule coordinator, who many of you know was diagnosed with stage I pancreatic cancer May 2018. (The picture below was taken of our Star Warriors, with Kelly featured in the center, weeks before the declaration of the pandemic earlier this March.)

Finally, helping one another as we regain our collective footing is what motivates me on a personal level. Like many of you, I am praying for the speedy eradication of the coronavirus as well as the calming of racial tensions - both needed to promote our healthy, harmonious, synergistic co-existence as a global community.

Standing by, ever-ready to serve you and your loved ones,

Dr Danny & The Star Warriors

YOUR DEDICATED DENTAL FAMILY

SAFETY

All of the following updated Covid-related protocols (screening, patient sanitation, isolation, PPE, aerosol management, and sterilization & disinfection) have been well-received. The feedback from patients who have visited us since our re-opening in May has been extremely positive and useful, as we look to maintain an environment in which patients can feel comfortable and safe. We are encouraged by the level of trust and confidence expressed during visits for hygiene maintenance, restorative care, and emergencies. Our team works diligently to employ strict guidelines established by the San Francisco Department of Health, CDC, NIH, OSHA and other regulatory agencies ensuring the highest safety standards possible.

SCREENING PROTOCOLS

Everything begins with the careful screening of patients, from the time of appointment scheduling to reception upon arrival at the front desk. Patients are asked very specific health and travel-related questions meant to assess risk potential. Additionally, each patient is asked to take their temperature the night before, as well as the day of their dental visit. Using stringent criteria (to either schedule or redirect patients) has helped us maintain a safe working environment for our unhampered focus on patient care.

PATIENT SANITATION PROTOCOLS

After successful completion of the initial screening and check-in in the reception area, each patient is escorted to the new PATIENT HANDWASHING STATION for 20 seconds of supervised handwashing. Once seated, the patient is given an ADA-endorsed hydrogen peroxide oral rinse before the visit proceeds.

ISOLATION MEASURES

Physical barriers have been erected in the reception area and throughout the back office to ensure optimal isolation between patients and staff at all times. Plexiglass shields are in place at the front desk. Treatment areas have been individually partitioned off with disposable plastic draping.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

Each staff member wears a face mask at all times during the workday as a bare minimum. The back office team wears both a KN95 mask and level-3 surgical mask (simultaneously), as well as a full coverage disposable jumpsuit. While clinical care is being rendered, a face shield rounds out the PPE for staff directly involved in executing the work (i.e. Dr Danny, the hygienist and chairside assistant).

AEROSOL MANAGEMENT

We recognize that contaminant-free, breathable air is of paramount importance. A large part of our focus is on managing instrument (water) spray and patient saliva during treatment. Beyond the building HVAC system, industrial-sized, HEPA filter air purifiers have been strategically positioned from our reception area door to the treatment area, with each treatment chair having its own, additional, dedicated air purifier.

While our power scrubbing, ultrasonic scaling instruments are in use, new extraoral suction technology (with internal UV light and HEPA filtering) is employed to control water mist created. Simultaneously, patient saliva is managed with conventional, intraoral clearing vacuums, as well as with another newly acquired piece of equipment: ISOLITE- a unique, single-use suction device that excels in limiting the contaminant footprint beyond the mouth.

The combination of the air purifiers, extraoral suction units and Isolite provide a layered approach to effective aerosol management.

STERILIZATION & DISINFECTION

All working surfaces are thoroughly disinfected immediately upon completion of care for any given patient, and associated instruments and equipment are promptly sterilized. We have elected disposable options for many needed components of our standard set-up during patient care.

ADMINISTRATION

In an effort to help our office staff focus solely on the safety of our patients, we have brought on two new dental billing consultants from eAssist Dental Solutions - an industry maverick offering enhanced, concierge-level, account management service. Their names are Katelyn and Jessica and they are going to be handling our new dedicated office billing department. When you call the office, there will be a new billing line so you can contact them directly with any questions you may have regarding your account or insurance payments.

SERVICE

We want to recognize the immeasurable contributions of fellow essential workers. Enough cannot be said about the good they do for all of us right now. Though many of these people have families of their own, they put themselves at risk in order to give us the ability to carry on with our own important work day after day.

Patients who are HEALTHCARE WORKERS, POLICE OFFICERS or TEACHERS will be offered a 10% reduction in their estimated out-of-pocket costs for treatment until victory has been declared over the Covid pandemic.

We value them and their work, and want this gesture to serve as a token of our deep gratitude.