COVID-19

Updated - October, 2020

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, we made the difficult decision to close our office on March 17.  At that time it was simply not safe to treat our patients.  After weeks of preparation and reorganization we re-opened for routine patient care on May 11. 

While we were closed our team worked together behind the scenes to prepare a safe environment for our patients and ourselves.  We had regular virtual office meetings, developed strategies to ensure everyone’s safety and adapted our office space appropriately.  Our doctors participated in numerous continuing education courses dealing with the effects of the coronavirus.  As president of the Rhode Island Association of Orthodontists, Dr. Greg collaborated with his colleagues on the local and national level to develop a unified approach and determine what is best for our patients and our profession. 

By following the guidelines of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control, American Association of Orthodontists and the American Dental Association, we have created an atmosphere of health and well-being in our office.

To that end, we have made the following updates to our office space:

• Performing temperature checks and a health screening for anyone entering the office

• Increased daily attention to disinfection of commonly touched surfaces

• Removed items that are difficult to keep clean, such as magazines and brochures

• Removed our electronic sign-in and developed a contact-free check-in system

• Added multiple air purification units with HEPA-13 air filters to maintain clean air

• UV lighting to reduce virus and bacteria levels in the air

• Maintaining social distancing in our treatment area by separating patients

• Using a private room with air purification for aerosol-generating procedures

• Use of additional personal protective equipment (PPE), such as N95 masks, face shields and protective clinical jackets

• Added a protective barrier at our reception desk

• Increased frequency of our existing professional commercial cleaning services 

Before your next appointment, we are requiring all new and existing patients to complete a COVID-19 supplemental informed consent and health questionnaire.  The informed consent only needs to be completed one time but the health questionnaire is required before every visit.  Please click here to access these forms.

What you can do to help us to keep everyone safe:

• Please stay home if the patient or anyone in their immediate family is sick or has a temperature over 100.4.

• Per the governor's executive order, please wear a mask or face covering in our office

• Use our provided hand sanitizer as you enter the office

At your next appointment, you will notice that we instituted a new process of welcoming patients into the office.  This change will allow us to reduce the number of people in the office, minimize the possibility of cross-contamination, follow social distancing guidelines and allow time for us to thoroughly clean and disinfect the treatment areas.

• The safety of your vehicle will be our waiting room now.  When you arrive in our parking lot, please stay in your car and call the office.  We’ll let you know when we are ready for your appointment. 

• We kindly ask that only the patient enters the office.  If you have a young child or this is your first visit to our office, please let us know and we’ll be happy to make the accommodation.  If your child needs to be accompanied, we will welcome only one parent or guardian.

• Upon your arrival to the office, a team member will take your temperature with a touch-free thermometer and ask a few simple wellness questions.

• Our greeter will escort you directly to the appropriate treatment area.

• Please social distance while in the office whenever possible.

• Our brushing station and restroom will not be available, so please brush your teeth before your appointment.

• Once the appointment is over, we will send the patient back outside and ask that a parent call us to review the treatment that was performed and schedule the next appointment.