04/01/2020
An Update From Dr. Gerlecz
I trust that all of you are well and are following all of the CDC guidelines for keeping yourselves and our community safe. For the most part, it seems that people are doing their part. I was in the drive through line at Starbucks last week, and I'm pretty sure that everyone was practicing Vehicular Social Distancing. Before the pandemic, cars were bumper-to-bumper in the line. I put a trailer hitch on my truck just to protect my rear bumper when waiting in line for my Grande Latte. Now cars are 6-9 feet apart as they wait for their "caffeine fix".
Things have changed a bit since I last communicated with you. The April 6th shutdown of dental offices that was recommended by the American Dental Association has been extended (in Florida) to May 8th. We are restricted from performing any non-emergency procedures until then. This date may change. We will be answering the phone during our normal business hours of 7-4. If your call is not answered, please call and/or text me at 850-866-0751. This is my personal number, and I want you to feel free to call me. I will get back with you. I'd prefer a text to a voice message, but either works.
I maintain that a dental office is one of the safest environments to be in with respect to contracting an infection (bacterial or viral) from another individual. This was true before COVID 19. With respect to Social Distancing, there are never 10 people in our entire office at any one time. This includes our team. There are seldom more than 2 people in the reception room at any one time. Frequent hand-washing is part of our routine, and all instruments that come into direct contact with you are either single-use disposables or have been bagged and sterilized after each use. All surfaces are wiped with anti-bacterial and anti-viral solutions. These practices have been required and implemented long before the first Corona virus (SARS). Additionally, sick people don't come to dental offices, unless their symptoms are from a dental infection. So if you've felt semi-safe going to Publix and Walmart or standing in line to get into your favorite hardware store or even going to your primary healthcare provider, you should be assured that your chances of contracting the coronavirus is much less in a dental setting than in any of the places I've mentioned. If you do need to see us before the infection curve is sufficiently flattened, I want you to know that every pre-caution will be followed to make sure you are safe in our office. We will be taking some additional measures going forward that I just think make sense:
1. We will all take and record our temperatures each day before seeing our first patient. If a temperature is elevated 1 1/2 degree above an individual's baseline temperature, that person will be sent home until their temperature returns to normal without the use of Tylenol, aspirin or an NSAID.
2. Taking the temperature of each patient will be done prior to each appointment. If your temperature is elevated 1 1/2 degrees above your baseline, we will reschedule you treatment. If the elevated temperature can be explained by the existence of a dental infection, we will provide necessary care at that time.
**Note: The 1 1/2 degree parameter may change after consultation with an infectious disease physician.
3. We may ask questions with regards to international travel, or in these times, domestic travel as well.
4. We will modify our schedule to assure that you will not have to be in our reception area with other individuals for more than a few minutes. It seems that a sneeze or a cough can't propel the virus beyond 6 feet. And 10 to 15 minutes of close proximity to an infected individual is required to spread the virus. There won't be a time that you cannot distance yourself well beyond what is recommended when in our office.
5. I have ordered medical-grade air purifiers for the reception room and each of our treatment rooms.
What you can do keep yourself and others safe:
1. If you are sick, do not come into the office unless you have a dental emergency.
2. Avoid close contact with people who are sick
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. This appears to be one of the most important practices to prevent becoming infected with the virus.
4. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue
5. Wash your hands often, preferably with soap and water for 20 seconds or with alcohol-based hand gel for 20 seconds.
6. Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently.
Please continue to be meticulous with your personal dental hygiene as well. I am concerned about those of you that require more frequent re-care visits. Periodontal patients that have been forced to go beyond the 3 month interval may "lose some ground" during this time away. I think a case could be made for the necessity of these procedures during this time; nevertheless, we will get you in as soon as possible after the moratorium is lifted. We are cancelling vacations for the year and using that time to catch up. We will also be working Fridays for the rest of the year.
Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
I am so thankful for my family, the phenomenal dental team that He has assembled here, and for each of you. I pray that His peace will guard your hearts and minds during this time. Please call if you need us for anything.
We miss you!
Dr. Joe
