Dear Valued Patients of King East Dental,

We are living through a very unique situation with the outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19. This is a situation that is impacting the entire world. We want to let you know how we at King East Dental are dealing with the ever-changing situation and the implications it has for all of us.

 First and foremost, we are a healthcare facility and our primary concern always will be the well-being of our patients. We are appreciative of the trust you have placed in us, allowing us to care for your dental and oral health. That is something we do not take lightly and is of paramount importance.

We strive to provide a clean and safe environment for your visits. We follow best practices and universal precautions in our sterilization and infection control procedures. With the outbreak of the coronavirus, we have reviewed and implemented the recommendations advised by leading health organizations – The World Health Organization (WHO), The Center for Disease Control (CDC), Public Health Canada, The Ontario Ministry of Health (MOH). We have only had to make small modifications to our infection control procedures as many of the recommendations were already in place in our dental office.

Below is a list of some of our infection control protocols, especially as they pertain to the coronavirus:

In the treatment areas,

• For all patients, we perform a medical history review that now includes questions relating to coronavirus symptoms and recent travel
• We properly clean, disinfect, and sterilize all dental equipment and instruments.
• We wipe and disinfect all dental treatment room surfaces prior to your visit. This includes the counters, dental chairs, tubing and handles, motors, trays and tables, operatory lights
• We provide new disposable barrier films/covers where possible before your appointment
• We wash or disinfect our hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer prior to your dental treatment
• We use personal protective devices such as gloves, masks, protective eyewear, and when required shields and gowns

In the administrative and reception areas,

• We disinfect all counters, wipe door handles, arms on waiting room chairs, toys, and pens
• We have hand sanitizer available for our patients and visitors
• We daily empty garbage cans and change bags, wipe hard surfaces such as light switches, telephones, computer keyboards, chairs, cabinets
• We clean and vacuum all the floors
• We clean and disinfect the bathrooms

We receive continual updates from these various healthcare organizations, as well as dental organizations. We will take our direction from them to provide you with the safest environment possible.

However, if you are not feeling well or are showing the symptoms of coronavirus (cough, fever, sore throat, difficulty breathing) or have travelled internationally in the past 14 days, we ask that you call us and reschedule your appointment. You may want to contact your family doctor by telephone if your symptoms are more severe.

For the latest information on the coronavirus, you can visit the following sites:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/canadas-reponse.html

Once again, our primary concern is for your health. Please let us know if you have any concerns regarding this situation.

Dr. Brian Kelemen

Dr. James Neal

The King East Dental Team