Presenter: Karena Chu, Psychology, Global Public Health Scholars
I worked as a front desk associate at a private dental clinic in Hunt Valley, MD. When the clinic reopened in the summer, we implemented new procedures to promote public health measures and protect the safety of both staff and patients. Masks were required for entry and patients were scheduled one at a time. Before arrival, patients were sent a wellness form to complete, indicating potential symptoms and exposure to Covid-19. Patients were asked to text the office upon arrival and wait in their cars until the patient scheduled before them had left. Before seating patients, I recorded their forehead temperatures on our logs and also directed them to rinse with mouthwash at a hands-free sink. At checkout, patients paid their co-pays by swiping their own credit cards in an effort to reduce physical contact. After each patient left, I wiped down their chair and put on a new set of protective barriers on all high-contact surfaces. I also cleaned down countertops, door handles, and other exposed surfaces. These are only a few of the public health measures we took to increase safety while still providing appropriate and necessary dental care during the Covid-19 pandemic.