COVID-19
We at Pacific Coast Oral & Maxillofacial Solutions care deeply about our patients, our staff, and our colleagues. Our goal is to continue providing the best patient care possible while safeguarding the health of our team, ourselves and our greater community.
Our surgical facility and our use of personal protective equipment (PPE) have always exceeded the requirements from our College, WorkSafe BC, and the BC Centre of Disease Control. As one of the Emergency Clinics with enhanced PPE, we have been treating all urgent and emergent cases throughout the forced office closures due to Covid-19 that has affected dental practices.
We are well prepared as we head into Phase 3. We have developed the necessary precautions and measures to ensure your safety, our staff’s safety, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Due to the fluid nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, these additional guidelines and protocols may change or be updated.
The changes include new ways of scheduling your appointments, new screening processes, limiting the number of patients for physical distancing safeguards, and utilizing enhanced personal protective equipment. Below is a list of some of the enhanced precautions and new protocols we have taken to protect you in addition to extensive team training on infection control and patient management procedures.
- Our large office plan gives us the ability to maintain safe physical distancing between staff and patients
- New scheduling rules to limit the number of patients at a time and maintaining safe physical distancing
- Maximum occupancy standards throughout the office
- Enclosed surgical operatories and consultation rooms
- Enhanced ambient air management by increasing air exchange per hour in the operatories
- Strict patient screening for every appointment
- Strict staff/doctor screening daily
- Require a mask to be worn by ALL patients upon entering office
- Longer appointment times for you to prepare and complete your appointment in the safest and most comprehensive manner
- Reinforced our already robust infection control measures through frequent cleaning and sanitizing all areas of the office
- Option of tele-dentistry/virtual appointments for your consultation and follow-ups, if requested and appropriate for your type of procedure
- We have removed all non-essential items from the reception area and operatories, thereby reducing our “touch points”
- We have enhanced Personal Protective Equipment to perform aerosol-generating procedures.
- Personalized arrival procedures to guide you from your car directly to treatment rooms to eliminate contacting surfaces
- Plexiglass screen protection at reception
We are also taking this opportunity to let you know what to expect for your appointments:
- When you arrive, please call us from your car in the parking lot before coming up to the office.
- Please use the hand sanitizer when you come into the office and when you leave the office
- Over the phone and at the office, we will screen you for any symptoms of COVID-19 and contactless temperature check when you arrive
- please complete your self-assessment for COVID-19 before every appointment
- https://bc.thrive.health/covid19/en is a useful link for self-assessment
- A Smartphone app is also available for self-assessment
- We kindly request you bring a mask to your appointment, if you have one. If you do not have a mask, we will provide you one.
- Please come alone if possible. If you are a minor, or need additional assistance, you may bring another individual with you to the appointment
- Prioritizations of patient care services – our doctors will review with you the benefits, risks, and alternatives regarding your specific surgical procedure, taking into account the anticipated benefits of such procedure and weighing it against the risks of COVID-19 to you and the greater community.
