Fuchsia Dragon | [email protected]
Jasper dentists and hygienists are now back in the office and ready to tend to your teeth.
But your next trip to the clinic will look a little different to last time.
Dentists and hygienists are now required to wear full surgical gowns, a mask, respirator and face shield plus scrubs and gloves if they are treating a patient.
And every person entering the clinic has to be pre-screened.
Dr. Randal Glover, a dentist at Jasper Dental Clinic, said: “The first thing is, they are not allowed in the clinic door. The receptionist stops you at the threshold and you will sanitize your hands and be given a mask - or ideally be wearing your own.
“Your temperature will be taken and from there you will spend hopefully no time in the waiting room and be taken directly to the treatment room to sign a form acknowledging you have no symptoms or have been in contact with anyone with COVID-19.”
In the treatment room, if you are having a procedure, your dentist will meet you fully robed and masked.
“We are operating with quite enhanced PPE (personal protective equipment) and have strict regulations on what equipment we need for what procedures,” said Glover.
That includes a ban on some mechanical equipment, so hygienists now have to hand-scale your teeth. This means no polishing, and no high pressure air and no ultrasonic scalers.
“That option just isn’t available to us right now,” said Glover.
Jasper Dental Clinic has two dentists and three hygienists. Another change that has been made is that Glover and the other dentist, Dr. David Leoni, are no longer in the clinic at the same time.
“It reduces traffic in the clinic. We have had to slow down and have lost a lot of efficiency,” said Glover.
“It also means if one of us has to isolate for any reason then we are not left without a dentist.”
Dental clinics were included as part of Stage 1 of Alberta’s reopening plan - but Jasper Dental Clinic’s reopening was slightly delayed by a shortage of PPE.
“The shortage is not specific to us,” said Glover. “Everyone in the world is looking for the same protective equipment.”
But with a healthy supply of PPE, including washable gowns, the clinic is ready for patients.
Jasper Dental Clinic cannot accept walk-ins as everybody is pre-screened over the phone. Call 780 852 3012.
