First of all, Jesse, Stephanie, Christine, Lupita, and I hope this message finds you happy, healthy, and hopeful in these uncertain times.
We are sure you have been bombarded with emails from other heathcare providers, the gym, and even Costco or Sams Club if you a member. As you know, we are very respectful of your time, and only send messages when they are vitally important to your dental or overall health.
Multiple public health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are recommending that people engage in "Social Distancing" to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Novel Corona Virus) into groups of susceptible persons with underlying medical conditions. Additionally the American Dental Association (ADA) and the California Dental Association (CDA) of which I am a member, are recommending that we limit care for patients to non-elective care for the next few weeks (about 14-21 days-Extended to April 30 by Federal Request) to further reduce the spread of this respiratory infection.
In an abundance of caution, and to minimize the risk to susceptible members of your family:
We are limiting care to EMERGENCY, non elective treatment for existing and new patients. This includes the treatment of broken teeth with acute discomfort, acute dental pain, treatment of an active dental infection (dental decay or abscess) or active gum disease.
We Will be asking about travel history for the past month of yourself or members of your household, and if you have current symptoms such as fever or cough, similar to the regular flu. Travel or Symptoms would require us to refer you to a specialized facility with the equipment and expertise to handle your care.
If you have an existing appointment, we have already, or will be contacting you so that we both understand your current condition, and the risks of delaying necessary care during this time. We will be tentatively rescheduling elective care patients into Early May(Changed March 29th Federal Request), unless further guidance is received from the CDC or other public health officials.
While it is obviously very important for all of us to be vigilant and conscious of our own health and the health of others at this time, we trust each of you to know if you should or should not be out and about.
As such, we are here and eager to provide you with the same quality care and concern that we hope you have come to expect from us. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us and our staff.
Douglas B Weber, DDS
Bachelors of Science(BS), Microbiology University of Idaho