May 15, 2020

To all our loyal patients,

We hope this letter finds you and your families in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the past few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal lives. However, as we move forward, this “normal” will be a “new normal.”

Our dental team has made plans to reopen our office. We will commence seeing patients on May 26, 2020 — Tuesday after Memorial Day. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your health and safety. Our office follows the infection control recommendations from the American Dental Association® (ADA), California Dental Association (CDA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), L.A. County Health Dept. (LACHD), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We are committed to ensuring that our infection control procedures are current and effective for your safety as well as that of our dental team.

Upon your return and even before you arrive, you will notice some new protocols when it comes time for your next appointment. Again, please be assured that we have made these changes to help protect you, our patient, as well as our staff. For example:

  • You will be asked screening questions both before your appointment (ie. when making the appointment) and when you arrive in the office.
  • Upon arrival, you may be asked to wash your hands or use the hand sanitizer that will be available for you.
  • Upon arrival we will also use a no-contact, external thermometer to take your temperature.
  • You will notice that our reception/waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and other items that are difficult to clean.
  • You may be offered fewer scheduling options for your appointment, thus allowing physical distancing between patients.
  • You are being asked to wear a face mask at all times when you are not being treated.
  • Patients are asked to not bring others into the dental practice unless they are parents or guardians of patients who are minors or are assisting special needs patients. If someone accompanies a patient, they will be asked to wait in their vehicle or outside the office.
  • Any patient wishing to wait in their car until we are ready to see you, may do so. Please just let us know when you arrive, and we will let you know when we are ready for you to come up.

In addition to what you are being asked to do, there are some additions to the office we have incorporated for everyone to be much safer:

  • All personnel working on patients will be wearing K-95 or KM-95 respirators.
  • All personnel working on patients will be wearing protective gowns.
  • All personnel working on patients will be wearing protective face shields.
  • We have installed “sneeze guards” in the front business section of the office, like in the supermarkets, for separation protection.
  • Staff has extended sanitizing procedures by wiping down door handles and heavy traffic areas multiple times a day.
  • While any drilling is being done, we have a large HEPA vacuum in the room with the intake positioned over the patient.
  • We have purchased medical-grade air purifiers for each treatment room.

WE WANT YOU TO ALWAYS FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE AT OUR OFFICE, AS WELL AS OUR TEAM MEMBERS, TO FEEL THEY ARE WORKING IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT!

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have. To make an appointment, or to inquire about any concerns, please call our office at 818-766-5246 or visit our website at drzabner.com. From our website, you may request an appointment.

Most of all, thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming you back to our office.

Sincerely,

Dr. Zabner and the entire team