Dear Patients,

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good mental and physical health. The last few months have been unprecedented, leaving a significant impact on our psyche and our community.  As we move out towards resuming the new “normal,” many things have/will ultimately change, with the ramifications of COVID-19 will echoing on.  But while start our return to daily life; know that our office will does so as well.  Our commitment to you, your safety, as well as the safety of our team is as important now, as it was in the past.

The infection control protocols, which are based on the guidelines set forth by the American Dental Association (ADA), the Ohio Dental Board, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) remain in place.  But moving forward, in response to the COVID-19, we are have enacted additional protocols which will be in effect indefinitely:

1. Prior to your appointment, you will be asked a series of pre-screening questions regarding your health and recent travels. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office and your temperature will be taken.  These questions are:

1.       Have you had a fever recently?

2.       Are you having shortness of breath?

3.       Do you have a cough?

4.       Any other flu-like symptoms?

5.       Have you experienced a recent loss of smell or taste?

6.       Have you been in contact with anybody with a confirmed case of COVID-19?

7.       Are you considered to be in a high risk health category?

8.       Have you traveled out of state/country in the last 14 days?

2. If you have a mask, we ask that you wear it in to your appointment.

3. For the time being, our waiting room will be closed and we will not be using it to seat our patients.  Instead, we will be asking you to call us when you arrive and we will then call you when we are completely prepared for you. You will be greeted at the door by one of our team members, who will start your screening process.   You will be asked to use hand sanitizer or to wash your hands upon entry.  You may see that our reception area no longer offers magazines and children’s toys, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.

4. Once seated, you will be given a rinse to swish for one minute.

5. Upon completion of your appointment, you will be escorted to the checkout by one of our team members.

6. Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the office at any one time.  This will impact how quickly we can see you, and how many patients we can see in a day.  We realize this will be frustrating at first, but we must take the proper steps for your safety.

7. You will be asked to come in to your appointment alone.   An additional person may be allowed to come in to the operatory in a case of:  a young child, a interpreter, or a personal aide.   Large family groups will be asked to come in one at a time, so please be aware of that when scheduling.

These changes will impact your appointment and how we schedule it.  But, all of these steps are being done to ensure your safety while you are in our care.   These changes will remain in place until they are changed or no longer needed.  Should you have any questions, or you need to schedule an appointment, please feel free to call us 513-732-6660.

We wish you and family the best of health, and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

-Dr. Jan Labeda and Dr. Bartosz Labeda