Coronavirus Update

May 20, 2020

To all our Valued Patients,

We hope you and your loved ones have been safe and healthy during this unprecedented time.

We want to thank you for all your patience and understanding as our office navigates through the guidelines set out by the Provincial Health Officer and regulatory bodies. Our front office staff is working diligently to reschedule all the appointments which had been affected by our office closure.

Recent Changes as a Result of Covid-19 to Protect You

Aspen Dental Group has always maintained the highest level of sterilization and disinfection protocols. Your safety and health are of utmost importance to us. As a result, we have introduced additional measures to help us achieve that goal, including, but not limited to:

1. Pre-screening patients for symptoms and risk factors (eg: recent travel or exposure to Covid-19 positive patient) related to Covid-19 prior to their appointment**. If a patient does not pass our screening protocol, elective treatment we will be rescheduled to a later date. In the event of an emergency and the patient is suspected of having Covid-19, one of our dentists will provide virtual care and refer to an appropriate facility as needed.
   • **Please visit the BC Centre for Disease Control website for up-to-date instructions on Covid-19 self-assessment. (www.bccdc.ca)
2. Waiting for Your Appointment. To minimize the number of people in the waiting area at a given time, we are asking patients to call us when they arrive and to wait either in their car or outside until we are ready to take them into their appointment. If a patient is unable to accommodate this due to medical reasons, please let reception know and we will be happy to assist you further.
3. Changes to the Reception Area.
   • Adequate physical distancing of 6 feet will be maintained in the reception area
   • Plexiglass barriers will be installed at the front desk
   • Removal of “hard to disinfect” items in the reception area (magazines, toys, etc.)
4. Patients will be asked to wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after entering the treatment rooms.
5. There will be an increase in the frequency of disinfection at the front desk and common areas (eg: doorknobs, countertops).
6. As part of our pre-screening protocol, we will also be strictly enforcing office guidelines asking any employee to stay at home if they feel unwell or if they do not pass our screening questions for Covid-19. We will also have digital temperature checks for staff members.
7. Appointment times will be staggered and scheduled to allow for distancing measures.

We appreciate everyone’s efforts as we get through this together. Thank you for all your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you all back!

Sincerely,
Dr. John Thiessen, Dr. David Choboter, Dr. Trevor Crosby, Dr. Lynette Foo, and the Team at Aspen