COVID-19 Protocols

Dear Patients:

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, 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 decisions regarding infection control processes and products utilized are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about some of the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep you and our team safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Additional research and recommendations come from Clinician’s Report and Harris Biomedical. We are up-to-date on all new rulings, product recommendations, and current guidance, as well as following any updates that may be issued. We do this to make sure our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agency’s recommendations.

You may see some changes when you next visit for your appointment. Some of the changes we have implemented to help protect you and our staff include the following:

• Prior to your appointment, you will receive some screening questions. For example: Have you or anyone you’ve come in contact with been diagnosed with COVID-19? If so, when? You may be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
• We will take your temperature with a non-touch digital laser thermometer.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. Other areas of the office will also have dispensers for your use.
• You will notice our reception area will no longer display magazines or newspapers, since these items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• We will respectfully ask you to come alone for your appointments; special consideration and arrangements for legal guardians, caregivers, drivers for sedation appointments, etc. may be made.
• Appointments and the reception area will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice.  To make an appointment, please call Darlene at our office at 253-999-9419 or visit our website (https://www.puyallupdentistry.com/) to request an appointment.

Thank you so much for your trust and confidence in us. We value your loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends.

Sincerely,
Dr. Dan Smith & Dr. Greg Wetterhus
Smith & Wetterhus Dentistry