Safety Protocols and Procedures for Covid-19

Dr. Rawson and the ABQ Pediatric Dentistry Team are always committed to ensuring patient safety.

We are excited to be able to provide dental care to our families, but please note that the office may look and feel different because of our increased safety protocols and procedures. This includes:

1. Toys, televisions, magazines, books, computers and tablets have been removed from the waiting room and treatment rooms. We have replaced them with mounted tablets above each chair where your child will be able to watch (and not touch) a movie of his/her choice.
2. Hand sanitizer is available at multiple locations throughout the office.
3. Carpets have been removed and replaced with luxury vinyl flooring which is 100% waterproof. This will allow us to adequately clean and disinfect the floors on a routine basis.
4. Chairs in the waiting area are 6 feet apart, thus accommodating a smaller amount of people. We encourage you to wait outside or in your car as much as possible. 
5. If your child is medically compromised and/or high risk, Dr. Rawson may:
   • require a medical consult from your child’s pediatrician prior to treatment.
   • recommend appointments be scheduled at only certain times for the safety of your child.
6. True HEPA-13 grade air purifiers will be situated throughout the office, particularly in treatment rooms where dental procedures that can produce aerosols are performed (ie fillings, crowns, root canals, etc).
7. Additional isolation barriers and high evacuation systems (ie rubber dam, Isodry and Dryshield) will be used during restorative dental treatment that produce aerosols.
8. Ultrasonic scalers for cleanings will not be permitted at this time.
9. Screenings for Covid-19 symptoms will be conducted at various times (over the phone, online and in person) and will include obtaining a temperature of your child and accompanying guardian. Daily screenings of all staff members will also be performed.
10. Appointments will be staggered and longer so that we can practice ‘social distancing’ and have extra time to make sure that each room is thoroughly cleaned between patients according to OSHA guidelines.
11. Siblings may be scheduled in different treatment rooms and will no longer be congregational appointments. Each child will have their own dedicated time and treatment room to complete all recommended procedures.
12. All counters and treatment rooms will be wiped down with EPA approved disinfectant in between each patient, regardless if they are siblings and/or in living in the same household.
13. Forms (consent forms and new patient paperwork) will be available online only. We prefer you use your own cell phone or computer to complete these documents, but we will have tablets available if needed (which will be sanitized after each use).

In order to best serve our families, we need to make sure that our staff members are kept safe and healthy. You will find that Dr. Rawson and staff members will:

1. Wipe down all surfaces with disinfectant (both treatment and non-treatment rooms) on a routine basis.
2. Have the appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) depending on the procedure being performed (ie N95 masks, surgical masks, protective eye wear, gowns, scrub jackets, shoe covers, hair covers, gloves and face shields).
3. No longer be giving hugs or handshakes to anyone.
4. Check symptoms daily to ensure staff members are not reporting to work when symptoms are present.

We ask our patients and families for the following considerations:

1. Please limit the number of family members attending appointments. For example, we recommend that no other siblings, grandparents or friends come into the office with the patient. You may opt to have them wait in the car or arrange childcare.
2. Please call and reschedule your appointment if your child or any family member:
   • has had any recent travel outside of the country in the past 14 days.
   • has come into recent contact with anyone who is suspected positive or has tested positive for Covid-19.
   • is feeling ill (even if the child who has an appointment is feeling well as individuals can be asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19). 
3. Please wear face masks when coming into our office.
4. Please wait in your car instead of the waiting room, if possible. We understand that younger children will need to be accompanied by an adult. We encourage older children to complete their appointment on their own after they are checked in at the front desk.
5. We encourage the use of payment over the phone, Apple Pay or Google Pay, although we are still taking payment via cash, check or credit card.

We hope our efforts help put you at ease.

Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns you may have during this time.

With love and aloha,

Dr. Audrey Rawson and the ABQ Pediatric Dentistry Team (Christian, Dede, Danielle, Suzanne and Brandi)