We have re-opened and have been deemed one of the safest, and most essential businesses, amid the Covid-19 pandemic!

Please take a moment and read this announcement.

We hope this announcement finds you and your family in good health. While many things have changed over the past couple months, one thing has remained the same here: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued, especially regarding COVID-19. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and team. For example:

• When you arrive at the office, please knock on the door and we will greet you and take your temperature with a contactless, infrared thermometer. We will ask you some screening questions prior to entering the office. If you are having any symptoms related to COVID-19, we ask that you contact our office via phone or text and not enter the building.
• We ask that only patients with appointments enter the office. Please have family and friends wait in the car if they accompany you. Exceptions will be made for parent/guardians of minors or adult dependents.
• Please wear a mask before entering our office and continue to wear it until you are seated in a chair or until you have left the office. California now mandates that masks be worn indoors.
• We will ask you to wash your hands when you enter, and before leaving, the office. You will also find hand sanitizer in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
• You may see that our reception will no longer offer magazines, coffee, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. This might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• We use a Solea CO2 laser in our office that not only allows us to provide dental treatment with little or no anesthesia but also produces much less aerosol and exposure than traditional handpieces. Plus, we are able to shorten appointment times and have patients in-and-out of our office, reducing exposure time as well.

MEMBERSHIP PLANS OFFER DISCOUNTS ON DENTAL SERVICES
We also know that this time may bring financial strain and we want to help patients maintain their oral health to avoid pain, excessive expense, and more time away from work. For our patients who may have lost their dental insurance, are cash-paying, or are out-of-network, we are offering membership plans to help you save money while taking good care of yourself. These plans cover all of your regular check-up appointments, an emergency exam, and give you a discount on other dental treatment for as little as $42 per month!

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at (805) 379-1989.

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Sincerely,
Dr. Cristen Whitmer & Team