If you have visited our office in the past few months, you undoubtedly noticed several new patient and staff protocols in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Patients call in to the office when they arrive for their scheduled appointment and wait in their car. Their temperature is taken, a questionnaire completed, and they are escorted directly to the treatment room.
Anyone entering our office is required to wear a face mask, plexiglass barriers are in place on the front desk and patients are asked to socially distance from one another. Staff also have their temperatures taken and answer a medical questionnaire each day. Any staff member who does not feel well for any reason must stay home and not report to work.
Sterilization and disinfecting treatment rooms have always been a top priority at Panther Hollow.
A new aspect of patient and staff safety related to COVID-19 is how we now handle aerosols created by dental drills and ultrasonic scalers used by the hygienists. Staff face masks have been upgraded to KN95 or N95 face masks. For staff and patients, air purification systems have been installed to remove and kill bacteria and viruses that potentially circulate in the air.
In each of our 13 treatment rooms, we have installed the VidaShield UV 24 air purification system. The VidaShield unit draws in room air/aerosols through a MERV6 filter which removes dust and a percentage of airborne pathogens. The air then passes through a sealed chamber that contains a UV lamp which kills bacteria and viruses. The disinfected air then reenters the room! The VidaShield treats all of the treatment room air 4 times an hour. With just one single pass through the VidaShield, the removal rate of coronaviruses is 100%! Another reason for choosing the VidaShield is that it is proven technology that has been used in hospitals for several years.
If you are interested in learning more about the VidaShield you can visit their website athttps://vidashield.com or check out thisVidaShield Info Sheet.
If you visit their website, be sure to visit theresearch page and check out theReport on the Performance of the VidaShield System. This report lists in detail all the microorganisms that are removed by the VidaShield.