Shady Grove Pediatric Dentistry opened its doors in June 2020, just a few months into the COVID pandemic. Due to the timing, we took every precaution right from Day 1, and our commitment to safety has not faltered. Regardless of which COVID variant may be circulating in our communities (as well so many of the other viruses that have once again become very prevalent), you can rest assured that our team takes everybody's wellbeing seriously. All members of our team have been vaccinated and have received or will receive booster shots, as appropriate.
We understand that cleanliness and sanitation are on everyone’s mind. Our top priority is to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of each patient and team member who walks through our doors. We adhere to the sanitation and infection prevention standards set forth by OSHA, the ADA, and the CDC. We want to assure you that we have taken the challenge of providing a safe dental office very seriously. We have implemented a robust risk abatement protocol to protect our patients and ourselves, and to do our part in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens.
Here’s what you can expect:
Medical grade air purifiers with HEPA-13 filters throughout the office
METICULOUS disinfection protocol and sterilization systems. Since we are a newer office (we opened in June 2020), all of our equipment is also new and state-of-the-art. We do not try to save money by buying low budget products. We use the best brands in the industry.
Separate rooms with closed doors (rather than partial dividers or an open floor plan, like many other pediatric dental offices) for safety and privacy. A spacious open area is available for families with multiple children, so everyone can stay together.
High-volume suction used for most procedural dentistry (much of the time with an intraoral suction device), which helps reduce aerosols by up to 98%
Water and suction lines are chemically cleaned to prevent bacterial build-up
We are a modern “paperless” office. All forms (patient info, health history, insurance, etc) will be required to be filled out electronically prior to arrival. All consent forms or anything else that requires signing will be sent directly to your personal smartphone and completed in that manner. Payments can also be made via a text-to-pay method.
Plenty of hand sanitizer is available throughout the office. There are also 2 hand washing stations. Our own team members will be following a diligent hand hygiene protocol at all times.
Our team members will be wearing face masks at all times during patient care hours. As of 2023, face masks are not routinely required for patient and/or parents, and we are currently operating under a "mask optional" policy for visitors. We will notify all families if these guidelines should need to change based on local or state ordinances.
Strict attendance policy. How is this related to safety, you might ask? In order to give adequate time for each appointment without rushing or cutting any corners, especially as it comes to cleanliness and safety, our schedule is built in a way that does not create overlap of more than 2 or 3 families in the office at a time. Certain parts of the day may even be available for a single family. For this reason, we have to enforce our attendance policy without much wiggle room. Appointments that are not kept or cancelled without proper notice (48 business hours) are subject to a $75 fee to reschedule (except cancellation due to illness or a TRUE emergency). A no-call, no-show may lead to complete dismissal from our office, depending on the specifics of each situation.
At Shady Grove Pediatric Dentistry, we want our patients to become part of our extended family. All of our protocols have been carefully mapped out with safety and comfort in mind.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to call us at 240.848.7074 or send a message to smile@shadygrovepediatricdentistry.com.
*On a personal note, Dr. Ball received her first COVID vaccine in early 2021 and has made both videos available for public viewing. She received her booster in November 2021. She has received 2 booster doses. The rest of the team has also been fully vaccinated.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bana Ball & your Shady Grove Pediatric Dentistry Team
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