After weeks of staying home and only opening to handle dental emergencies, we are thrilled to reopen our doors, welcome patients back to the office, and return to “normal”.

These days, however, “normal” looks and feels a little different.

As of a county order on May 26, 2020 the Santa Clara County Public Health Department has granted dental offices permission to open, providing they follow the most recent CDC guidance, which was last updated on May 19.

We are committed to going above and beyond the necessary precautions and protocol as outlined by the county and the CDC to ensure that our offices are safe, healthy, and comfortable.

The first step we’ve taken is a deep cleaning of the entire office. The next step will be maintaining that level of cleanliness every day moving forward. Not only will we be keeping surfaces disinfected by wiping down common areas between each patient, but we will be purifying the air itself.

In order to guarantee proper ventilation in the office, we have installed MERV 13 filters with UV-C lighting into the HVAC ducting. These hospital-grade filters attract and capture airborne particles and allergens as small as one micron in size, including bacteria and viruses.

Our new UV-C lighting is germicidal, meaning it will deactivate the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens in the air and on surfaces and destroy their ability to cause disease. UV-C light causes damage to the nucleic acid of microorganisms by forming covalent bonds between certain adjacent bases in the DNA.

Another foundational improvement we’ve made is the installation of high-grade medical negative pressure rooms. Positive and negative pressure rooms are used in a wide range of medical environments, including ICUs, to prevent the spread of infectious contaminants and to maintain sterile spaces, no matter the size.

Our negative pressure rooms will eliminate aerosols from the room during treatments to prevent transmission of germs between patients. The low-pressure traps and keeps potentially harmful particles within the room, preventing them from being spread to other patients. Ask us to show you the napkin test to see how this works during your next visit!

In terms of your own experience, the differences you will notice start in the waiting room. We ask that every patient has a mask on before they enter, and to maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from other patients. As soon as you arrive, we will provide hand sanitizer and shoe coverings to wear during your visit. As an extra precaution, our staff will take your temperature and record your oxygen saturation levels upon arrival to make sure you are healthy.

We will also be installing new dental chairs and flooring to create the ultimate sparkling-clean, germ-free experience for every patient that walks through the door.

There will also be a couple of new faces in the office! We are pleased to introduce Chanel Taylor, our new dental assistant, and Gina Shenoy, our new office manager. They can’t wait to meet you and will be ready to answer any questions.

We hope to see you soon! Schedule your next appointment by calling 408.227.1404.