As dental healthcare providers during a pandemic and following the recommendation of the American Dental Association, we will continue to see patients on an emergency and case-by-case basis if you are not showing symptoms such as fever, persistent coughing, or shortness of breath. (https://www.ada.org/en)
Please be understanding with our new check-in policies as they are in place for your safety and the safety of our community:
- Your temperature will be taken at check-in. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher, will be rescheduled.
- Adults, please only bring yourself to your appointment.
- If you are a parent bringing your child, please only bring the child with the scheduled appointment.
- Patients will be asked to wait in their vehicles after completing the check-in process to limit the number of people in the office at one time. You’ll receive a call or text when the doctor is ready to see you.
Frequently Asked Questions
As the spread of COVID-19 continues in our state, we have received several questions from our patients:
Is it dangerous to seek dental care during a pandemic?
We assure you that our offices adhere to the recommendations provided by CDC, ADA, and Federal and State regulatory bodies to provide you with safe and compassionate care. We will keep you updated should your access to dental care be interrupted due to an inability to safely render our services.
What precautions is Reitano Dentistry taking to prevent the spread of infection?
Even before COVID-19, infection control in any dental office was and is paramount for the safety of our patients and the team. Even before the coronavirus, our offices followed strict infection control measures put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association.
- Sanitizing – personnel cleans all public spaces, including treatment rooms, restrooms, and waiting-rooms.
- Use of medical-grade disinfectant sprays – applied to operator rooms after every patient is seen (per CDC guidelines), including high touch areas such as chairs, counters, and equipment.
- Protective Barriers – placed on items such as armrests, curing lights, overhead lights, computer keyboards, and suction tips.
- Sterile Instruments – dental instruments are sterilized after every patient. CDC protocols are strictly adhered to in assuring proper sterilization of dental instruments.
What extra precautions is Reitano Dentistry taking to provide safe dental services during this time?
- We have communicated to our staff the need to stay home if they show symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and trouble breathing.
- Any staff member that has traveled to a CDC Level 2 or 3 region will be required to self-quarantine before returning to work, although we are highly recommending team members not travel at this time.
- We’ve implemented a procedure that screens patients for COVID-19 symptoms or possible exposure. The screening process is done at three points – when the patient books an appointment, when we reach out to confirm an appointment, and once the patient is physically in the office.
- Increased intervals between and appointments and patients.
- We are requesting all patients remain in their cars until the doctor is ready to see them. Only patients that are unable to wait in a vehicle are invited to use the waiting room.
Should I reschedule my upcoming dental appointment?
If you or someone you are in close contact with have recently traveled to one of the countries with large outbreaks of COVID-19 (China, Italy, Iran, or South Korea) or if you have been exposed to someone else who was diagnosed with COVID-19 or who was quarantined as a precaution, wait 14 days until you see your dentist to make sure you have not caught the coronavirus.
If you are healthy, there’s no need to cancel your regularly scheduled dental appointment. We will be in touch with you should it become necessary to reschedule your appointment.
What oral hygiene measures can I take to decrease my personal exposure to coronavirus?
Oral Hygiene:
Brush and floss your teeth, clean your tongue, swish and spit and gargle with a mouth rinse containing hydrogen peroxide.
General Hygiene:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting sick (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html).
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
We appreciate your patience during these unusual times, and should you need us for emergency reasons, please call us.
Once we get back to normalcy, we very much support that going to the dentist, like Reitano Family Dentistry, twice a year is an important part of preventative dental care.
During these visits, we will examine your teeth and gums, scale and polish your teeth and recommend any treatments and services you may need. You will also be advised on how to care for your oral health at home.
Call 757.424.0184 to schedule your next appointment with Reitano Family Dentistry.
Whether you live in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk or Norfolk area, we look forward to seeing you soon!!
