What We're Doing For COVID-19

Dear Oak Park Dental Associates Patients,

We are beyond ready to get back to work and see everyone that we have missed so much! We hope this letter finds everyone healthy, happy, and prepared to ease back into regular routines. Much has changed since we saw you last.

We are all still coming to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic and events triggered by it. Everyone on the planet has been affected by COVID-19. We want to update you on our office, its measured re-opening, and the steps we are taking to ensure we do everything possible to keep our patients and our team healthy. While our office has been closed, we have been closely following shifting regional, state, and national guidelines that affect the field of orthodontics.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has just issued permission to resume non-emergency care. We will resume general appointments for patients the week of May 25, 2020. We will also be following rigorous scheduling protocols and office measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our patients and the team members at Oak Park Dental Associates.

We ask for your patience. We had to cancel many appointments, and we know that there is a strong desire to get your treatment back on track as soon as possible. We will eventually, but it will not be as efficient as you are used to in our office. This benefits everyone. We will have to be very firm in all of our processes and procedures. They have been well-thought-out and reviewed countless times by all the doctors and our entire team. We are getting ready to start rescheduling patients on a first-canceled-first-rescheduled basis, which is fair, efficient, and will serve everyone with getting back on track.

Please note that our office procedures have temporarily changed and will include the following:

Appointments:

There will be a limit to patient appointments per day, roughly half of the regular appointment load. The points outlined below will lend clarity to this decision. All observation appointments will be carefully rescheduled – some may be in-office visits and others via a virtual visit.
Please wait for our office to text or call you to reschedule your appointments. We have a very accurate and comprehensive list of every appointment canceled, including the day and time. Emergencies will continue only to be defined by pain, swelling, or bleeding.

Visits:

When you arrive for your appointment, please stay in your car. The front door will remain locked. Please call our office upon your arrival, and a staff member will let you know how to proceed into the building for your visit.
Only the patient that is being treated will be allowed to enter the office. The only exception for this will be for very young patients. Of those, only one parent/caregiver may accompany the patient. Absolutely no other family members or friends will be allowed inside.

Please bring your own mask and wear it to your appointment. State guidelines for social distancing and wearing masks in businesses continue, so bring the mask you have been using. If you do not have your own, we will provide one; however, personal protective equipment supplies are dangerously low.
Your temperature will be taken by staff using a touchless thermometer. If your temp is over 100 degrees F, you will be asked to leave and not return for the specified 14-day self-quarantine requirement.
A simple questionnaire assessing contacts, travel, and well-being will be asked of all patients as well. Any question indicating recent exposure to someone with COVID-19 or having signs and symptoms of the same will be asked to leave, and not return for the specified 14-day self-quarantine requirement.
Maintain the 6-foot social distancing guidelines when in the office until seated in the treatment chair.
The patient restroom will be closed, so please prepare for that before arrival.
Only one patient will be seen at any given time, which is why we have a lower appointment availability.

Social:

WE LOVE OUR PATIENTS! We also love to chat with you at your appointment. Please understand that conversations will be significantly reduced to allow for social distancing, running on time, disinfection of treatment chairs and instruments, etc.
We will not be providing magazines, our coffee/tea/hot chocolate station, or any snacks, while in this re-entry to normalcy time.

Team:

We will take the temperatures of every team member, including our doctors, immediately upon arrival at work, and after lunch. Any team member at 100 F or above will go home.
Every team member will answer the health questionnaire that our patients are required to answer, and will do so every day. If any questions disqualify the team member, they will be sent home following the procedures we are asking our patients to follow.

General:

You will find upon arrival that our furniture has been rearranged. You'll also notice other changes made to ensure the health and well-being of our patients and our team.
Expect that your treatment progress has been delayed, as has your estimated completion time. We wish that were not the case, but it is, and we want to be transparent about that. Please forgive us as we are focusing on getting each of you back on track while not exposing our team members or patients to unnecessary risk.

We are so grateful for every one of our patients, and this time away has only served to make us even more thankful for each of you. You are the life-force of our practice, and this is why we are taking your safety VERY seriously. We would ask for your patience and understanding.

All of the above protocols are subject to change as things normalize, and we evaluate things in a real-time setting. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at (708) 848-8237.

We are so happy about being able to return to our office and see all of you again.

Warmly,