March 16, 2020

 

COVID-19 Update

 

To Our Valued Patients:

 

As the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and the restrictions being placed by our federal and state governments are continually changing, we felt it was necessary to reach out to inform you of our planned response. As of today, we have decided to close our office, until further notice, for all procedures with the exception of emergencies. We are heeding all recommendations for “social distancing”. We believe that the only way we can effectively act on that recommendation is to close the office.  

 

We feel that the health and safety of our patients and their families, as well as our team members and our families, has to be the primary focus as we navigate the uncertainty in the days and weeks to come.  Although we have always used universal precautions as recommended by the CDC and OSHA, the reality is, that in this case we feel we must do more.

 

We ask for your understanding and patience as we recognize that canceling and rescheduling appointments can be difficult and inconvenient. Please know that we did not make this decision lightly. It was made following days of research and consultation and after receiving specific recommendations from the Kentucky Board of Dentistry and the American Dental Association.

 

We have begun contacting patients in an effort to reschedule appointments.

 

We will be available to see patients on an emergency basis in our office as long as the current mandates will allow. These visits will be scheduled on a case by case basis.  We will be available in the office via telephone/email/text to answer any questions or concerns that you may have and to determine if an office visit is necessary.

 

In addition to the sterilization standards and measures we take every day for every patient, we will also be implementing additional precautions in the case that you need to be seen in our office for an emergency visit:

• We will take the temperature of all patients upon arrival in our office.
• We are asking every patient to fill out a health history questionnaire specifically addressing any recent illnesses/fever/upper respiratory symptoms or international travel.
• We will have you rinse with a hydrogen peroxide mouth rinse.
• We are asking that all patients come to their appointments alone. If a patient must come to the appointment with a family member or companion we ask that that person wait in the car.  

 

As always, please call the office (859-441-1230) if you have any concerns or questions or if you feel as if you are experiencing a dental emergency.

We thank you for your support and understanding.

 

Sincerely,

Dr Rachel E Gold and Team