Celebrating and Saying “Good-bye 2020”
We decided to really celebrate and say “good-bye 2020” by going all out on a pepper steak dinner. The picture above is the flambé with cognac step. We enjoyed every yummy bite and toasted to a better 2021.
It has been a year of challenges and worries. Our office was closed for 6 weeks from mid-March to the beginning of May. And we are lucky. Some businesses are still operating under extreme restrictions even today. It is our sincere hope that with the advent of vaccines, 2021 will see a return to normalcy, especially for small businesses and restaurants.
Changes That Are Here to Stay
Following the onset of Covid-19, we instituted several changes at the office. One you have probably noticed is the use of face shields during aerosol creating procedures. While we used several tools to minimize aerosol spread before, a face shield can provide another level of protection for our staff.
Another change is the way we screen patients. For the foreseeable future, we will continue to use a Covid Questionnaire and take temperatures of all visitors to the office. And, whereas before we would sometimes treat patients with cold type symptoms, we will continue to ask those feeling unwell to reschedule appointments.
Due to public health orders mandating the use of Covid Questionnaires, we became overwhelmed with paperwork after reopening the office. That prompted research into paperless forms – which can be filled out via computer or smart phone. These forms are saved on a secure cloud server. We receive a notification that a new form is available. We can then review and download the form(s) into our practice management software, thus skipping the manual entry of data and scanning of forms. Feedback from patients has been almost uniformly positive (yes, some patients would prefer to never update information…). The system is easy to use, quicker than filling out paper forms, and can be done at a patient’s convenience prior to an appointment. This saves both our staff and our patients time in the office.
Other Changes
Many of you already know that long-time hygienist Lee Ann has transitioned to a part time schedule. She is currently in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We were lucky to find new hygienist Stephanie, who has been a welcome addition to the staff. And, patients will also continue to see hygienists Judy and Jane on their days in the office. We will take a new group photo of our staff once restrictions on masks and social distancing are lifted.
Things that Never Change
We will always appreciate the professional relationships and friendships we have developed with so many you after years of seeing you in the office. We will continue to strive for excellence in the dentistry we practice and to provide our patients with the best dental care possible.