COVID-19 Protocols and Precautions

The Coronavirus spreads from person to person contact primarily via droplets generated when we cough or sneeze and those respiratory droplets can spread up to 6 feet away. Please read more about Coronavirus transmission from the CDC. How Coronavirus Spreads

Presently there is no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hence as the old adage says –prevention is the best cure- The best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure to this virus. The best way to stay safe is to follow the recommendations from the CDC

At Rockville Family Dental, we follow the protocols laid by American Dental Association along with Maryland State Dental Board. We follow all the guidelines issued by CDC and OSHA, and beyond for the protection of our patients and staff. Our routine infection control measures include

• Disinfecting the operatory after each patient with medical grade wipes
• To practice good hygiene we wash hands with soap and water and or use hand sanitizer , especially after touching frequently used items or surfaces
• Utilize PPE such as safety googles for patients, staff and Dr. Parikh, gloves, mask and gown
• Sterilization of all reusable instruments
• Utilization of disposable items like needles, suction tips, HVE tips, bibs etc

Due to this current pandemic of COVID 19, in accordance with Federal and State regulations, we will also implement additional measures such as:

• We ask patients about their health when we confirm the appointment and patients who feel sick we require them to stay home and not go to work or school. We encourage them to contact and follow the advice of their medical provider.
• Temperature checks of staff and patients immediately upon entering the office, then we request to use hand sanitizer and we will check their SpO2 using pulse oximeter and then they fill out a screening questionnaire for COVID 19 isolation and symptoms. We encourage you to avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
• Social distancing in the waiting room, requesting only one person accompanies the patient and if the waiting room has not sufficient because of isolation then we request patients to wait in their car and we can call them when we are ready.
• As per the CDC and Governors order, we strongly encourage you to enter the office using face mask or coverings.
• We request everyone to avoid touching your nose, face and mouth. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow.
• We have implemented additional protective equipment PPE for your protection.
• We disinfect frequently used items, common and high-traffic areas like door knobs and bathroom every 2-4 hours.
• We have removed all magazines from the waiting room.
• If we find symptomatic patient or staff then we will require them to return to the office only after they have fully recovered and until cleared by a medical provider.
• We use preprocedural mouth rinses of 1% hydrogen peroxide for 1 min and high speed suction and extra oral chairside vacuum and air purifiers to reduce the aerosol generated during various procedures.