COVID-19 Protocols

Children’s Choice Open for Essential Dental Care

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and well. We look forward to seeing your smiles soon.

During this unprecedented global pandemic and healthcare crisis, Children’s Choice Dental Care is committed to providing essential dental care to children in the communities we serve. We understand the fears and challenges that many face as the coronavirus outbreak evolves in our communities. There are many unknowns during this time, but we know that the strength of our communities is reflected in how we continue to care for each other during this time.

The health of our communities and care teams are our top priorities and mission. Many of our underserved children and communities have limited care resources and options for care, especially during this crisis. We are committed to bridging the gap in emergency oral care with our Choice community partners.

Children’s Choice offers comprehensive pediatric dental care, and during this crisis, our providers and care teams are committed to supporting our local healthcare community. Select Choice locations are open for emergency dental care so patients with emergency dental needs can receive critical care without stretching the capacity of our hospitals and healthcare partners.

Choice Commitment to Safety

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak evolves in California and across our world, the health and well-being of our patients, families, and employees remain our highest priority. While many things have changed since March 2020, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice, and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We are continuously assessing the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in the communities we serve and the impact on our practice.

New COVID-19 Pre-Appointment Screenings

Due to the current coronavirus outbreak, we’re screening our patients with upcoming appointments to help minimize exposure risk. Those with symptoms will be asked to postpone their dental care appointment until they are better. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. Those with COVID-19 have experienced a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms will be advised to first consult with their medical provider prior to receiving dental care:

Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

Fever
Chills
Repeated shaking with chills
Muscle pain
Headache
Sore throat
New loss of taste or smell

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have a milder illness. This list is not all inclusive and is per CDC guidelines as of April 27, 2020. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

New COVID-19 Visitor Guidelines & Safety Measures

Visitors are encouraged to wear a face mask while in office. Visitors without a face mask will be provided a disposable surgical face mask to wear while in office.
Patient families are asked to limit only one parent/adult per child patient and only children with appointments. This is to allow for safe distancing between patients.
We have hand sanitization stations that we will ask you to use when you check-in. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for use as needed.
You may see that our waiting room no longer offers magazines, children’s toys and books, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. Our video games and movies will remain though!
Appointments will be managed to allow for safe distancing between patients. This may mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment. We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area.

Choice Infection Control Measures

We want to reassure you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and care teams safe. We routinely follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued, and adhere to the following guidelines:

the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines for infection control;
regulatory guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC);
infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA).

Our Choice teams make our behind-the-scenes hard work look easy! Our award-winning teams are proud to have been named “Exceptional Dental Offices in Infection Control & Safety” by Tom Terry Seminars. You may observe during your visit:

Hourly disinfection of commonly touched items such as doorknobs, front office counters, keyboards, and iPads/tablets;
Use of dental dams and high evacuation suction during operative procedures;
Sterilization of handpieces after every patient;
Rigorous monitoring of personal protective equipment (PPE) so we don’t run low;
Monitoring temperatures for all patients (and teammates!) as part of the intake process.

Information provided regarding COVID-19 Crisis protocols updated as of Monday, April 27, 2020.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To schedule your visit, click on the button below.

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We truly care about your child’s health and happiness. Reach out to get your child’s appointment scheduled. We can’t wait to see you.

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