The Clear Fork Healthy Dental Care Re-Opening policies:
1. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): We have ample PPE as part of our every day care, depending on each patient's need. We will be wearing it for every patient, rather than the ones necessary, at least until we get the full opening signal for the State.
2. Filtration: We have overabundance of filtration.
a. HEPA (*1)
b. UV (*2)
c. Ozone (*3)
3. Safety Protocols are already in place as we have had to treat emergencies and various essential procedures on a limited basis since the beginning of the COVID "shut down:" always within guidelines of the TSBDE (Texas State Board of Dental Examiners) as well as the Texas American Dental Association.
4. Here is what will be different:
a. Call the office when you arrive, and the front desk will check you in. If you are a new patient, we will bring paperwork to you to fill out in your car. When you are finished, give us a call.
b. We will call you when we have a room available for you to come straight back into the treatment area.
c. One of the assistants will take your form of payment from you to the front, and bring you a receipt for your treatment.
*1- HEPA- Stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air- Is a designation used to describe filters that are able to trap are able to trap 99.97 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns. The COVID-19 virus is approximately 0.125 Micron, but that's in an isolated form where they typically can't survive long enough. HEPA air purifiers WILL effectively capture the microbes contained within the aerosol particles which are much larger than 0.3 microns.
*2- UV- Is a known disinfectant for air, water and surfaces that can help to mitigate the risk of acquiring an infection in contact with COVID- 19 virus. UV here refers to HVC light energy (200-280nm light) in the germicidal range. (It is not the same as the UVA and UVB used in tanning beds or sunlight exposure.) UVC light has been used extensively for more than 40 years. All the air drawn through the HEPA filter is exposed to the germicidal UVC light.
*3 OZONE- Will inactivate all viruses including COVID-19. It will kill bacteria, virus, and fungi.