Hello everyone!  I hope this message finds you all safe and healthy with your families.  I have been thinking of you all and want you to know during this unprecedented time, I am still available to help take care of your dental needs.  The information we are receiving is changing everyday and I am actively following the current situation.  The technology available to be part of so many dental conferences, webinars, telemeetings and educational seminars has been amazing!

As you all know, my office voluntarily shut down on March 17, 2020 based on the recommendations of the Virginia Dental Association (VDA) to help with social distancing and to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus.  This week, Governor Northam mandated that all elective medical procedures be canceled for 30 days.  This includes all dental procedures except emergent procedures.  This executive order by our Governor was put out in an effort to reduce the use of personal protection equipment (PPE) so that those items (masks, gloves, sterilization and disinfection sprays wipes and other equipment) can be available to the urgent care community and hospitals as the needs arise.  The same PPE and comprehensive infection control procedures we routinely use to take care of our office before and after every one of your visits are the same and in high demand now to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in our hospitals and community.

I will continue to have emergency care times available to all of you for any emergent treatment.  Here is a link to the outline of emergency procedures that the American Dental Society (ADA) has put out for us to follow.

Our anticipated reopening with normal hours and schedule is April 27, 2020 but is subject to change.  Until then, we have added few procedures to help with social distancing and minimize any chance of spread of the Coronavirus should you need to come to the office.  First, you will be screened for any potential signs of COVID-19 by being asked questions about your health and travel.  You will also have your temperature taken.  If you do not pass these screenings, you will be instructed to consult with your primary care physician before treatment can occur.  We are scheduling emergencies so that there will be only one patient in the office at a time.  In the event a second patient is in the office, they will be placed in an operatory farthest away from you.  We will have only those staff members in the office that will be needed to take care of you during that time.  We have also updated our pre-procedure mouth rinse to a peroxide base, which is reported to be better at decreasing viral numbers in the mouth.  A non-latex dental dam will be used for any dental procedure to help minimize aerosols.  If we need to do any work to help you, as always, I will let you know what we are doing and why.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about your current or future dental care and call my office in the event of an emergency at 703-912-3800.  I can be reached on my cell phone after office hours at 703-585-6166.  I also have the ability to video conference with you (teledentistry!) to review any issues you may have and determine if you need to be seen in the office.  If we need to do that, I will be happy to set up some time to speak with you!  Again, I currently expect to re-open for your normal care starting April 27, 2020, but as we learned last night with President Trump’s address that may change again.  I will continue to keep you informed of our process and progress and will continue to be available for emergencies.  If you have a dental appointment scheduled during this time, my staff will be contacting you in the next few days to help reschedule your appointment.

Your oral health is important.  Many procedures we perform can be postponed for a few weeks if you maintain good oral habits.  Please brush and floss 2-3 times a day and use your oral rinses with fluoride once a day.  For those of you with periodontal disease and on strict cleaning schedules, please be extra diligent during this time.  We will focus on getting you back on track as soon as possible.

Again, please do not hesitate to contact me, or my staff should you have a question.

I always appreciate the opportunity to help you and your families with their dental care.