"Installing" Safety at Opalesque

“What are the criteria”  from Governor Inslee’s statement on May 18th that dental professionals and practices must satisfy?

The criteria are:

1. Contingency care phase - “all appropriate clinical care, so long as there is sufficient access to PPE, and for hospitals, surge capacity is at least 20%”.
2. Practice clinical judgment for dental treatment in the context of patient health and dental needs.
3. Keep up with infection prevention policies as they continue to update with Covid-19.
4. On-site fever screening and Covid-19 health screening questionnaire of the patient on the entry of practice.
5. Maintain social distancing, frequently disinfect front desk area, use appropriate disinfection agents to sterilize operatories, doctor and team follow PPE guidelines for aerosol and nonaerosol procedures. 

At Opalesque we have worked hard to keep up with the evolving standards of care mandated by the ADA and WSDA. Because one of our core values is to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for those we treat, we have all devoted time to finding out what are the most effective materials and products to use for disinfection. The office is now equipped with HEPA air filters, hygienists have special high volume suction to prevent spray, dental assistants have purchased EPA approved viral disinfectant to clean workrooms and the administration is working hard to accommodate the backlog of patients that were canceled during the office closure. We are also cognizant of you, your families, ourselves, and our families so our PPE protocol has changed to better protect everyone.