COVID-19 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
Covid in 2024 and Beyond
In 2024 and beyond we learn to live and work alongside COVID-19 in our environment. At doM we continue to operate adhering to strict infection control procedures and applying a range of additional measures, to ensure the health and wellbeing of our patients, employees and community. As such we ask anyone displaying cold or flu symptoms to refrain from attending the Practice.
If you have tested positive to COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone who has tested positive to COVID-19 we ask that you refrain from attending the practice for 7 days post onset of symptoms, and until all symptoms have resolved, and once you have returned a negative RAT.
We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us 6223 3639.
UPDATE: as of Monday 18th October 2021
LOCKDOWN LIFTED, RETURN TO FULL SERVICE
UPDATE: as of Friday 15th October 2021
As of 6.00pm Friday the 15th October 2021, the State Government has imposed a 3 Day Snap Lockdown affecting the local government area we operate in. Dental Practice is considered an essential service with limitations on service. As an essential service we will remain open, however we will be deferring all non essential treatment and only attending to clinically necessary/emergency treatments within the lockdown period.
Please call the Practice during normal business hours on 6223 3639 should you wish to speak with us. You can also contact us via the chat function on this website at any time, including outside of business hours in the case of an emergency, and we will get back to you as soon as practicable.
Stay Safe, and please contact us if you are at all concerned in relation to a dental matter.
UPDATE: as of Monday 11th May 2020
We are pleased to inform, that as of today 11th May 2020, Government imposed restrictions on Dental Practices have been eased further returning us to a new normal. As an essential healthcare service we are able to provide you with our full range of services in a safe and protective manner. We continue to operate adhering to strict infection control procedures and applying a range of additional measures, to ensure the health and wellbeing of our patients, employees and community.
We look forward to welcoming you back for your regular check up, preventative and restorative treatments or anything that may be of concern to you. And whilst we’ll still be abiding by social distancing measures when not wearing PPE, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t excited to see your face.
So call us 03 6223 3639, we’d love to hear from you!
Additional COVID Measures:
All patients will be screened pre appointment and on arrival to the surgery. This includes answering the following questions and having your temperature taken by a remote forehead thermometer.
- Have you arrived from overseas, interstate or been on a cruise ship in the last 14 days?
- Have you visited the North West in the last 14 days?
- Are you a healthcare worker?
- Have you been in contact with anyone known to have COVID-19?
- Do you feel unwell, have a sore throat, cough, or headache?
- Do you live with anyone who is unwell, with a sore throat, cough or headache?
We have hand sanitiser at reception. We ask that you use it on arrival at the practice. There will also be hand sanitiser in the surgery to use before you leave.
Our waiting room might look different – we have removed magazines and toys and should you require it, water will now come in a disposable cup. We have also installed social distancing markers.
We are operating an optional car park waiting room. If you wish to wait in your car please call us on arrival for your appointment and we can collect you from the car park.
Should you be accompanied by another, we will ask that they do not enter the surgery unless absolutely necessary e.g. parents of small or nervous children is acceptable
Once in surgery we will ask you to rinse with an antibacterial antimicrobial mouth rinse before treatment.
We already use barrier wrap in the surgeries, but you may notice additional use, for example on our Eftpos machines.
Depending on the procedure, we may be wearing additional PPE.
Restorative aerosol producing procedures will be conducted with the use of rubber dam.
Extra time is allocated between each appointment to allow for social distancing and a higher level of environmental cleaning.
Our staff will be regularly decontaminating all surfaces in the Practice, including door handles, counter tops, pens at reception, chairs, floors etc.
UPDATE: as of Monday 27th April 2020
EASED RESTRICTIONS
We are pleased to inform, that as of today 27th April 2020, Government imposed restrictions on Dental Practices have been eased. As an essential healthcare service we are again able to provide you with a wider range of services in a safe and protective manner. We continue to operate adhering to strict infection control procedures and applying a range of COVID specific measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of our patients, employees and community.
Dental on Macquarie can again provide clinically necessary routine dental procedures in-practice. The definition of clinically necessary procedures may include any procedure requiring urgency, active treatment plans that are time sensitive (certain fillings and/or root canal treatments), procedures associated with the relief of pain, treatment of infection or trauma or treatment that would leave a patient at high risk should it not be conducted.
Also available, through the use of Telehealth technology, are remote dental consultation appointments. These can be utilised by patients wanting to speak directly to a Dentist to ask questions, seek assurance or to triage future treatment appropriately. It simply starts with a phone call and can progress to videoconferencing if required.
Additional COVID Measures:
All patients will be screened pre appointment and on arrival to the surgery. This includes answering the following questions and having your temperature taken by a remote forehead thermometer.
- Have you arrived from overseas, interstate or been on a cruise ship in the last 14 days?
- Have you visited the North West Coast in the last 14 days?
- Are you a healthcare worker?
- Have you been in contact with anyone known to have COVID-19?
- Do you feel unwell, have a sore throat, cough, or headache?
- Do you live with anyone who is unwell, with a sore throat, cough or headache?
We have hand sanitiser at reception. We ask that you use it on arrival at the practice. There will also be hand sanitiser in the surgery to use before you leave.
Our waiting room might look different – we have removed magazines and toys and should you require it, water will now come in a disposable cup.
Should you be accompanied by another, we will ask that they do not enter the surgery unless absolutely necessary e.g. parents of small or nervous children is acceptable
Once in surgery we will ask you to rinse with an antibacterial antimicrobial mouth rinse before treatment.
We already use barrier wrap in the surgeries, but you may notice additional use, for example on our Eftpos machines.
Depending on the procedure, we may be wearing additional PPE.
Any necessary procedural risk of producing aerosol will be conducted with the use of rubber dam.
Our staff will be regularly decontaminating all surfaces in the Practice, including door handles, counter tops, pens at reception, chairs, floors etc.
UPDATE: As of Monday 30th March 2020
“The AHPPC recommends adopting the ‘Managing COVID-19 Guidelines’ published by the ADA and implementing a triage system for dental practice. AHPPC recommends that all dental practices implement level 3 restrictions as outlined in ADA’s guidance. That is, dentists should only perform dental treatments that do not generate aerosols, or where treatment generating aerosols is limited. All routine examinations and treatments should be deferred.”
Dental on Macquarie has adopted these recommendations in addition to the measures we have already implemented below and will continue to make decisions in relation to Practice in the best interests of our staff, patients and community at all times.
UPDATE: As of Monday 23rd March 2020
Last week we implemented a range of additional measures at Dental on Macquarie (see below) to ensure the health and wellbeing of our patients, employees and community. As healthcare professionals it is now imperative we practice with a much heightened protective and cautionary approach. As such we have made the following decisions;
As of the 23rd March 2020, Dental on Macquarie will only provide clinically necessary routine dental procedures in-practice. The definition of clinically necessary procedures may include any procedure requiring urgency, active treatment plans that are time sensitive, procedures associated with the relief of pain, treatment of infection or trauma or treatment that would leave a patient at high risk should it not be conducted. We will be rebooking all other routine and preventative dental treatment.
Available immediately, through the use of Zoom video conferencing technology, Dental on Macquarie will offer remote dental consultation appointments. This will allow our patients to speak directly to a Dentist to ask questions, seek assurance or to triage future treatment appropriately.
We will be contacting all of our patients with future appointments to discuss these new and previously placed precautionary measures.
COVID-19 Precautionary Measures, Monday 16th March 2020
As you are aware the World Health Organisation has announced COVID-19 a pandemic. At Dental on Macquarie we take our patients, staff and community’s health and wellbeing seriously.
Already adhering to strict Infection Control Guidelines, Dental on Macquarie has stringent cleaning, disinfecting and sterilisation procedures in place. In light of the current environment we have added the following procedures to ensure added protection to our staff and patients at the Practice.
All patients will be screened pre appointment and on arrival to the surgery. This includes answering the following questions and having your temperature taken by a remote forehead thermometer.
- Have you returned from travelling internationally in the last 14 days?
- Have you been in contact with anyone known to have COVID-19?
- Do you feel unwell, have a sore throat, cough, or headache?
(If yes, we will reappoint you at an appropriate time)
We have hand sanitiser at reception. We ask that you use it on arrival at the practice. There will also be hand sanitiser in the surgery to use before you leave.
Our waiting room might look different – we have removed magazines and toys and should you require it, water will now come in a disposable cup.
Should you be accompanied by another, we will ask that they do not enter the surgery unless absolutely necessary e.g. parents of small or nervous children is acceptable
Once in surgery we will ask you to rinse with an antibacterial antimicrobial mouth rinse before treatment.
We already use barrier wrap in the surgeries, but you may notice additional use, for example on our Eftpos machines.
Our staff will be regularly decontaminating all surfaces in the Practice, including door handles, counter tops, pens at reception, chairs, floors etc.
We understand this is an unprecedented and uncertain time and that you may feel anxious. We want to reassure you that our staff our well trained in infection control procedures and your safety is, as it always has been, our biggest priority.
Please also know that if you are a patient of the practice, become unwell and require emergency treatment, we have procedures in place to manage this.
As this is a rapidly evolving situation we will update you of any changes as advised by the Department of Health, Public Health or our governing body AHPRA.
More information regarding COVID-19, how to protect yourself and what you should do if you are feeling unwell can be found at www.health.gov.au or by calling 1800 020 080