COVID-19 UPDATE 4/30/20

by | Mar 30, 2020

Yes Open

We will be open treating all patients starting on Monday, May 4! We have our team members here today and Friday answering your calls to schedule an appointment or reschedule as needed. We’re excited to be back, but we ask you to please read this letter which details the steps we are taking, and need our patients to help with, for a safe and healthy visit. Thanks so much!! – Dr. Baxter
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We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and as we look toward resuming your dental visits, we want to update you on what to expect at your visit for the current time, until restrictions lift. Our top commitment is the safety of our patients, families, and team.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

To help with the efficiency and safety of your child’s appointment, please observe the following recommendations from the Alabama Dental Board:

-Please stay home and cancel your child’s appointment if anyone in the house has a fever, flu-like symptoms, GI symptoms, a loss of taste or smell, or has been around anyone with COVID-19. We are required to have you sign a screening form when you arrive. The pen and sheet or iPad will be disinfected between patients.

– Please use the restroom and have your child use the restroom before coming to the office. We have a bathroom available if you need it, and it will be disinfected between uses.

-When you arrive, please call us at 205-419-4333 to let us know you have arrived.

– Per the board rules, only children with a scheduled appointment and one parent are allowed in the office (this is not our rule as we typically like to welcome everyone, but for now this is necessary).

– Parents and older children are encouraged to wear a face covering or mask if possible.

What you can expect from us:

– We will come to your car to take a temperature and ask the screening questions, and then accompany you to your treatment room.

– We will provide hand sanitizer as you enter.

– We will thoroughly disinfect all treatment areas, and observe social distancing rules.

– We will wear N95 masks to limit the chance of the spread of disease.

– We will use high volume suction that we always use during our tongue-tie appointments to minimize aerosols.

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 or reschedule an appointment, please call our office at 205-419-4333 or visit our website at www.TongueTieAL.com

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

Sincerely,
Dr. Baxter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Baxter, DMD, MS, FAAPD

Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist  |  Fellow of the AAPD  |  Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery

Dr. Richard Baxter is a board-certified pediatric dentist, Fellow of the AAPD, and Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery. He is an internationally recognized speaker on tongue-ties, instructor of the acclaimed online course Tongue-Tied Academy, and lead author of the bestselling book Tongue-Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More. He is passionate about educating parents and healthcare providers about the effects a tongue-tie can have throughout the lifespan. He lives in Birmingham, AL, with his wife, Tara, and their three girls, Hannah, Noelle, and Molly. He is the founder of the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center, where he uses the CO2 laser to release oral restrictions. He had a tongue-tie himself, and all of his girls were treated as infants, so this field is a personal one. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, running, and outdoor activities. He serves as a Faith Trainer at the Church at Brook Hills and participates in global missions projects around the world.

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