COVID-19 Control-Action PlanAssembly Dental | Somerville, MA

We have implemented the following protocols for the safety and protection of our patients and staff:

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to review the COVID-19 screening questionnaire (medical history, recent symptoms, and so forth). You will be asked those came questions again when you arrive at the office.
• We will be taking the temperature of all staff and patients upon arrival at the office.
• All dental providers (dentists and hygienists) and assistants will be wearing the recommended PPEs including N95/KN95 masks, surgical masks, gloves, face shields, gowns, surgical caps, and shoe covers. All staff members have been trained to properly utilize and dispose of all PPEs. All PPEs will be changed between patients and procedures.
• All patient coordinators will be wearing masks and gloves, if applicable.
• We have reduced a number of seats in the waiting room and patients will be asked to come in by themselves or wait outside, if necessary, to ensure “social distancing.”
• We have redesigned our entire floor plan, installed plexiglass shields in the reception area and enhanced air filtration system by placing Molekule® air purifiers in the waiting area and in each operatory room. The Molekule technology, called Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) eliminates indoor pollutants at a molecular scale. Microscopic pollutants like allergens, mold, bacteria, viruses and airborne chemicals are eliminated from the air. PECO is the only air purification technology that can destroy airborne viruses.
• We have increased disinfecting protocols to include waiting room, front desk, front doors, and all surfaces in the patient area. We have removed magazines, brochures, cups since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• We have placed hand-sanitizers around the front desk area, bathrooms and operatories along with educational signs to “stop the spread of germs” and “hand washing.”
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients, and you will find separate areas for check-in and check-out.
• We added UV sterilizing units to enhance our sterilization process. Germicidal UV lights can actually change the DNAs and RNAs of bacteria and viruses, destroying their ability to reproduce.
• We added high volume extraoral suction units to help control the splatter and aerosols produced during dental procedures and reduce the risk of contamination. The unit also contains an UV filter system that will help kill all bacteria and viruses.
• We will be disinfecting the entire facility twice daily with Sterilox® hypochlorous acid (HOCL) by an ultra low volume fogging system. HOCL is made naturally by white blood cells in all mammals for healing and protection and is a powerful oxidant that is effective against invading bacteria, fungi, and viruses. HOCL is EPA-registered disinfectant and fits into the CDC requirements for an ideal disinfectant as it has broad-spectrum efficacy, is odorless, non-flammable, non-toxic, fast drying and is environmentally friendly. HOCL is bactericidal, germicidal, virucidal, tuberculocidal and staphlocidal.

Daily Safety Standard Protocols

• We will screen and take temperatures of all staff upon arrival and will be recorded in a screening log.
• Patient coordinators will review the COVID-19 screening questionnaire with patients and take temperature upon arrival at the office.
• Patients who live in Assembly and/or arrive via a vehicle will be asked to call us when they arrive, and we will confirm when they can come into the practice to observe social distancing and keep minimal number of patients in the waiting area.
• Assistants will escort each patient to treatment room as soon as possible and will ensure that there are no patients in the hallway, enforcing “physical – social distancing.”
• Assistants will retake patients’ temperature and, if applies, will have patients rinse with an antiseptic oral rinse.
• At the end of each appointment, assistants and hygienists will discard all disposable gears, clean up any debris and will bring all instruments to sterilization area wearing all PPEs. Assistants will follow universal infection control protocol to sterilize all instruments by placing instruments in an ultrasonic cleaner, followed by drying, bagging, and placing them into an autoclave. All other equipment will be wiped down with disposable disinfecting towelettes (pdCARE™ and CaviCide®) and place in the UV sterilization unit for 15 minutes on each side.
• The treatment room, including operatory chair, poles, head lamp, dental unit lines, tables, trays, computer, keyboard, mouse, etc., will be completely wiped down using disinfecting spray and towelettes. All dental unit water lines will be flushed between each patient as well as air/water syringes. Change gloves and set up room again using all disposable barriers.
• Patient coordinators and assistants will follow check-in and check-out flow to assigned areas.
• At mid-day, the clinic will be closed for cleaning and disinfection. Ultrasonic cleaner solution will be changed, floors will be mopped, carpets will be vacuumed and entire facility will be disinfected with Sterilox® hypochlorous acid (HOCL).
• Patient coordinators will clean and disinfect the waiting area, front desk area and front bathroom throughout the day after patients and will be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting waiting area and front desk area at the end of the day. (Clean floors, vacuum, sanitize handles, doors, etc.)
• Assistants will be responsible for cleaning and sanitizing all operatory rooms, lab, and sterilization area at the end of the day.
• Entire office will be disinfected again with Sterilox® hypochlorous acid (HOCL) at the end of the day.