Dear Parents and Patients,
We hope this message finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to our “new normal” of habits and routines as we begin our re-opening these next few weeks. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is now encouraging us to slowly reopen our orthodontic office to patients (unaccompanied without a parent as much as possible to maintain physical distancing).
The first major announcement is that we have moved to 13308 Moorpark Street in Sherman Oaks (together with Smiling Sea Pediatric Dentistry) to better serve your orthodontic and dental needs together. Please park in the Moorpark Street lot on the westside of the building.
Please wait for our office to contact you to reschedule your appointment. We will be contacting you within the next two weeks (before our initial goal of June 1, 2020) for an appointment likely set after June 2, 2020. Please be patient, otherwise, our office staff will be overwhelmed with the volume of calls and messages. The staff's first day back is on May 18, 2020, after this unexpected two-month closure.
Our seating capacity has been reduced to 50% per day in order to increase physical distancing. We have a comprehensive list of all unexpected cancellations due to the unexpected closure. We are rescheduling on a first-cancelled-first-rescheduled basis to be fair to all. Patients without an appointment will not be seen if they just walk-in without an appointment.
If you already have an appointment on May 18, 2020, or after, then please keep that appointment.
While many things have changed due to the pandemic, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your health and safety. Our office follows the infection control recommendations from the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We are committed to ensuring that our infection control procedures are current and effective.
You may see some new processes when it is time for your next appointment. Please be assured that we have made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
• You are required to FILL-OUT AN ONLINE FORM with screening questions prior to your appointment, and on the day of your appointment. Please use your own device (BEFORE requesting any appointment) to answer these questions located here, or at www.oaksortho.com/Forms/
https://www.orthoii-forms.com/SupplementalHealthQuestionnaire.aspx?culture=en-US&custid=3055
https://www.orthoii-forms.com/COVID19InformedConsent.aspx?culture=en-US&custid=3055
• Patients (and parents) are asked to wear a mask while in the office (except while seated in the dental chair for treatment). Please, bring you own mask (face covering).
• Patients are asked to not bring others into the dental practice. Only the patient that is being treated will be allowed to enter the office. The only exception will be for very young patients (i.e. age 8 or younger). If someone accompanies a patient, they will be asked to wait in their vehicle or outside the office. Please do not bring other siblings if they are not being treated.
• Before you enter our office your temperature will be measured and screening of symptoms will be assessed. High temperatures will be denied entry.
• You may notice that our waiting room will no longer offer coffee, magazines, video games, shared children’s toys and other items that are difficult to clean. Many waiting room chairs have been removed to increase physical distancing.
• You may be offered fewer (in-office) scheduling options for your appointment in order to allow for physical distancing between patients.
• Instead, you will have more options with Photo Virtual Visits or Video Virtual Visits in order to limit a patient’s need to physically be in the office. All of our office phone numbers are able to receive photos and text messages.
• Hand sanitizer (and hand washing) will be available for your use before and after touching items in the office.
• HEPA Air Filtration (with an internal UVC cleaning system) located in the reception area.
• A dedicated staff member whose main responsibility is to clean and disinfect.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have. To make an appointment (either in-office or virtual), please text our office at (818)783-4565, email us at info@oaksortho.com , or email though our website at www.oaksortho.com
Most of all, thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming you back to our office.
Sincerely,
Roger S. Lim, DDS, MS
Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics