Dear Evolve Friends and Family,
As some of you may have heard, the Virginia Dental Association issued an email recommendation on 3/15/2020, followed by a recomendation from the American Dental Association on 3/16/20, and yet again by a recommendation from the White House that ALL non-emegency dental services be postponed until April 1 at this time.
Dental emergencies are defined as pain, swelling, infection, or a disruption to one’s daily life. It is extremely important that we do not overload our Emergency Room’s with dental related emergencies.
This is not yet a mandate, but as leaders and primary health care providers, I believe it is important that we put our business aside and focus on the big picture as a nation. As we do not know the duration of this crisis it is also very important that we conserve supplies such as gloves and masks.
As such, I have elected to close Evolve Dental Care until April 1st at this time. We will still be available for emergencies and urge you to call us if need be. The office number will forward to my cell phone. We will be pre-screening all emergency patients for for signs and symptoms of the virus, and limiting one patient in the office at a time.
At Evolve, your health and safety is always our top priority. We adhere to the infection control guidelines of several federal agencies including: the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as the local Virginia Board of Dentistry. These measures include:
- Disinfectant hand soap/sanitizer
- Gloves and face masks
- Chemical disinfection of countertops and surfaces
- Sterilization of all equipment before every use
- Disposable materials
We sterilize all reusable equipment, including dental handpieces, utilizing an autoclave, a device that kills bacteria and viruses by steam, heat and pressure.
We will continue to monitor the situation and update you if further office closings are to take place. Thank you for being part of the solution with us and stay safe out there!! We look forward to seeing patients again after April 1, 2020.
Best, James R. Oliver Jr. DDS
Your Friends at Evolve