The Coronavirus has brought into sharp relief how our lives can be quickly disrupted by unforeseen events. Amid all the uncertainty, we’ve had to adjust our expectations and make drastic changes to the way we travel, attend school, the workplace, or even keeping routine medical appointments.
As a responsible Canberra Dentist and Healthcare Provider, we want to provide our patients with a sense of calm so that you do not feel overwhelmed by the changes and compromise their oral health as a result.
At Molonglo Dental Surgery, we are not taking any chances when it comes to Hygiene and Infection control. As we join other Australians to fight the COVID-19 pandemic together, we want you to know that your health and safety matters a great deal to us.
Our Commitment is that we take every precaution to make sure that you are well protected from the threat of infection at all times.
Molonglo Dental Surgery follows the COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the relevant authorities, including those of: The Australian Government; Australian Dental Association; and Dental Health Services Victoria.
We have implemented further precautionary steps, in addition to the stringent Infection & Hygiene Control measures practiced in our clinic.
The following Infection & Hygiene Control protocols include both pre-existing as well as newly enhanced measures:
Disinfection and sanitation
- We have extended our hygiene controls from inside the surgery to the reception area and beyond. Using hospital-grade antiseptic and antibacterial products, we ensure that all surfaces – including chairs, door handles, reception desk, etc – in the reception area are cleaned and disinfected between every patient appointment.
- We have increased the frequency and intensity of sanitation, disinfection, and sterilization protocols. We also advise our patients to clean their hands with the antiseptic gel (provided by us) on arrival.
- We have removed all magazines from the reception area to minimize contact points and therefore infection risks.
- Before starting their treatments, patients are also given a Savacol mouth rinse to further reduce the likelihood of any cross-infection.
- To minimize the risks of transmission via aerosols in the clinical room, we will where possible, always use the hand scaler instead of the ultrasonic cleaner.
Patient appointment and Screening
- We are now staggering patient appointments, resulting in lesser patients in the waiting room at any given time to ensure social distancing measures are in place.
- We have adopted a phone and in-person screening process to assess the risk of patients to COVID-19. We ask each patient if they are unwell if they think they have been in contact with someone who may or does have the Coronavirus, and if they have recently traveled overseas.
- We also monitor our dental team members with daily checks to minimize infection risks to other staff members and patients.
- We set aside more emergency appointments across the day for our patients.
Protective gear
- PPEs serve as the primary barrier between the infection and the human body. That’s why we use personal protective equipment (PPEs) like face masks, gloves, aprons, and gowns to protect all our healthcare providers and patients.
- All our disposable PPEs are disposed off safely. We will disinfect those that cannot be disposed of before using them again.
Your cooperation, please
Finally, we understand that implementing these enhanced hygiene steps may introduce a measure of inconvenience to our patients. In view of the circumstances, we would like to ask for your patience.
Only with your help can we maintain a clean and virus-free environment for everyone. A little consideration goes a long way in our fight against this pandemic.
As usual, we are open to your feedback and suggestions. Let us know how we can improve and serve you better.
If you have feedback or wish to book an appointment with our Friendly Canberra Dentist in Molonglo Valley, contact Molonglo Dental Surgery at 02 6287 1222.
