May 15, 2020
TO THE PATIENTS OF DR. PETULLA AND DR. KAZEMI:
We hope this letter finds you and your family doing well, and in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the past few months, and we know it has not been easy on anyone. We all, no doubt, are looking forward to resuming our normal routines and schedules. While many things have changed, one thing will always remain constant in our office – our commitment to your health.
We want to reassure you that we have always abided by the strict sterilization and infection control guidelines provided by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition to adhering to this high standard of protocol, we have implemented some extra steps to follow in order to ensure the safety of our patients and our team.
- During your appointment confirmation phone call, you will be asked some screening questions. You will also be asked these again upon entering the office.
- We ask that you remain in your car and call us when you have arrived. This will allow us to practice social distancing as patients come and go from our office.
- Please do not bring any additional family members or friends with you unless absolutely necessary.
- We ask that you please wear a mask. Our team will all be wearing masks, as well. The Doctors, Hygienists, and Assistants will also be wearing face shields and gloves.
- When you enter our office, you will be greeted with hand sanitizer, and your temperature will be taken. You will then be escorted back immediately to the appropriate treatment room.
- You may notice that, for now, there are no magazines, newspapers, or children’s books in the reception area, since these items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Each treatment room now has an air purifier that runs continuously.
- At the end of your appointment, you will check out behind one of the sneeze guard shields that are in place at the front desk. While there, you will be offered a brand-new pen, unless you prefer to use your own. There will also be more hand sanitizer for your use before leaving.
- As always, every room will be cleaned before and after each use with hospital-grade disinfectant. In addition, the bathroom and other shared surfaces, such as counters and door handles, will be sanitized multiple times throughout the day. The office is also professionally cleaned every evening.
We look forward to seeing you again and encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding the above-mentioned procedures. If you need to reschedule an appointment, please call and we will be happy to assist you. Our main goal is to continue to provide the highest level of dentistry, while protecting the well-being of those in our care. Thank you for the support, trust, and loyalty you have always shown our practice.
UPDATE FROM DR. PETULLA AND DR. KAZEMI REGARDING COVID-19
Based upon the most recent advice and recommendations from the American Dental Association (ADA), and the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA), beginning the week of 3/23/’20, our office will be open for emergency care only. The health and well-being of our patients and team are of the utmost importance to us. Therefore, we will continue to monitor the virus situation and communicate with our patients as we learn more. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines being presented for our area, in order to keep you and your families safe.
A MESSAGE FROM DR. PETULLA, DR. KAZEMI, AND TEAM REGARDING COVID-19
As we are all aware, the corona virus is beginning to have an impact on our community. The focus of our practice has always been the health and safety of our patients and team members. Therefore, we will continue to monitor the updated information and recommendations from the American Dental Association (ADA), NJ Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO). We want to reassure you that we have always followed strict sterilization guidelines provided by OSHA and will remain committed to this high standard. In addition, we are allowing extra time throughout the day to sanitize all shared surfaces, including the bathroom, counters, door handles, pens, and the waiting area. The office is also professionally cleaned at the end of each day.
As a precaution, we respectfully ask that if you or your child is sick, or has traveled recently, please contact us to reschedule your appointments. Although the Doctors, Hygienists, and Assistants are always gloved and masked, we have reminded our team members to stay home if they show any signs of illness.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those that have been impacted by this situation. We remain hopeful that, as we each do our part, improvements will soon be seen. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We will notify you of any scheduling changes. Thank you for the support and trust you have always shown our practice.