Post-COVID19: Dental Practice Opening Checklist

Dental practices in a number of states across America are now opening or getting ready to open their doors to patients. Here’s a quick dental practice checklist to help you, your team, and patients safely interact when you open your doors.

Dental practice checklist for patients

As patients make their way to your practice ensure that they are made aware of the precautionary measures that you intend to put in place to protect them as they go about their visit to your practice.

As a general rule for all areas:

1. Disinfect all clinical areas, restrooms, doorknobs etc.
2. Provide Hand sanitizers for patients at various points.
3. Provide extra tissues and hand sanitizers.
4. Put in place extra face masks for patients that do not bring their own

Make strict rules for admittance

1. For adults admit one patient at a time.
2. In the case of a minor, one parent may accompany him/her.
3. Limit the number of patients that can be attended to at any given time.

Basic patient safety measures

1. Check the patient’s temperature on entry into the practice.
2. Sanitize hands on entry and exit from the practice.
3. Basic protective gear to be worn at all time (masks and gloves)
4. The entry of patients with contagious diseases (colds and flu) to be limited or denied.

Dental checklist for front desk personnel

Reinvent your workspace:

1. Have a more spacious reception
2. Have faster front desk management.
3. Pay more attention to the state of your restrooms

Patient management

1. Communicate safety procedures to patients before anything else.
2. Inform patients of any convenient platforms that have been established so as to lessen their visits in person.
3. Encourage online payments and online appointments.
4. Always make sure you are ADA compliant.
5. Pay attention to insurance eligibility and coverage.
6. Get in touch with individual insurance companies to know their current policy coverage, payouts, and changes in procedures.
7. Have a patient follow up system in place.

Checklist for your dental staff

Ensure staff safety

1. Regular temperature checks.
2. Face shields
3. KN95 masks
4. Long sleeve clinic jackets
5. Shoe covers
6. Gowns

Ensure your equipment is up-to-date

1. Create a work uniform sanitation routine.
2. Have a proper disposal protocol in place for all exposed material and clothing.

SupportDDS is a leading Texas-based in-sourcing company that provides virtual assistants and administrative support for dental practices. Moreover, we provide both short and long term virtual outsourcing services customized to suit your business process needs.

Contact us today.