Important Information Regarding COVID-19

Dear Patients, Parents, and Friends:

We are beyond ready to get back to work and see everyone who we have missed so much! We hope this letter finds everyone healthy, happy, and prepared to ease back into regular routines. Much has changed since we saw you last. We are all still coming to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic and the events triggered by it. Everyone has been affected by COVID-19. We want to update you on our office, it’s measured reopening and the steps we are taking to ensure we doing everything possible to keep our patients and our team healthy.

While our office has been closed Dr. Goldman and our team has been remarkably busy learning about the virus and evidence-based guidelines for restarting orthodontic practices around the country. We have implemented the guidelines offered by the CSC, the American Association of Orthodontics, the American Dental Association, and the Connecticut State Dental Association. This wealth of information is continually changing and we continue to update our practices as new information becomes available.

To that end, we will be opening Wednesday, May 20th. We will be following rigorous scheduling protocols and office measures to ensure the safety and well-being of you, our patients, and the team members at Goldman Orthodontic Arts.

We ask for your patience. We know there is a strong desire to get your treatment back on track as soon as possible. We will eventually, but it will not be as efficient as we are used to in our office. This benefits everyone. We will have to be very firm in our processes and procedures. They have been well-thought-out and reviewed countless times.

We will be rescheduling patients on a first-canceled-first-rescheduled basis, which is fair, efficient, and will serve everyone getting back on track. Our office procedures have temporarily changed and will include the following:

Appointments

  • There will be a limited number of patients per day, roughly half the regular appointment load. The points outlined below will lend clarity to this decision
  • Please wait for our office to call you to reschedule your appointments. We have an accurate and comprehensive list of every appointment canceled.
  • Emergencies will continue to be defined by pain or bleeding. For now broken brackets and ill-fitting aligner trays do not constitute an emergency.

Visits

  • When you arrive for your appointment please stay in your car. Please call (203-329-2712) or text (203-313-7237) our office upon your arrival. One of our team members will initiate your visit.
  • Only the patient who is being treated will be allowed to enter the office. The only exception to this will be for very young patients. Of those only one parent/caregiver may accompany the patient.
  • Please bring your own mask and wear it to your appointment. Federal guidelines for social distancing and wearing masks in businesses continue, so bring the mask you have been using.
  • Your temperature will be taken by a team member using a touchless thermometer. A pulse oximeter will be available should anyone wish to be checked.
  • A simple questionnaire assessing your contacts, travel, and well-being will be asked of all patients. This will be e-mailed just prior to your appointment. Any question indicating recent exposure to someone with COVID-19 or having signs and symptoms of the same will be asked to leave, and not return for the specified 14-day self-quarantine requirement.
  • Maintain the 6-foot social distancing guideline when in the office until seated in the treatment chair.
  • The tooth-brushing station will be used as a hand-washing/sanitizing station required of the patient before being seated. No tooth-brushing, only hand washing.
  • The patient restroom will be closed, so please prepare before your arrival.
  • Patients will rinse with a 3% hydrogen peroxide mouth rinse at the treatment chair. This will go into our suction system.
  • Patients will be seated every-other chair in the treatment bay to maintain social distancing, which is one of the reasons for the reduced number of patients per day.
  • We ask for your understanding while we try to address all of your treatment needs during your visit. Individuals with broken brackets may not have everything completed during this visit due to strict scheduling times.

Conversations/Drink Stations

  • We love our patients!! We also love to chat with you at your appointment. Please understand that conversations will be significantly reduced to allow for social distancing and running on time, disinfection of treatment chairs and instruments, etc.
  • Dr. Goldman will call every parent the evening of your child or children’s appointment(s) to update treatment progress and plans.
  • We will not be providing our coffee/tea/hot chocolate station while in this re-entry to normalcy time.

Team

  • We will take the temperature of every team member, including Dr. Goldman, immediately upon arrival at the office and after lunch. Any team member at 100.4 degrees F or above will go home.
  • Every team member will answer the health questionnaire that our patients are required to answer, and will do so every day. If any questions disqualify the team member they will be sent home following the same procedures we are asking our patients to follow.

General

  • You will find upon your arrival that our furniture has been rearranged and some seats blocked off. You will also notice other changes made to ensure the health and well-being of our patients and of our team.

We are so grateful for every one of our patients, and this time away has only served to make us even more thankful for each of you. You are the life-force of our practice, therefore we are taking your safety VERY seriously. We ask for your patience and understanding. Expect that your treatment progress has been delayed, as has your estimated completion time. We wish that were not the case, but it is. Please forgive us as we are focusing on getting each of you back on track while not exposing our team members or patients to unnecessary risk.

If you have any questions please feel free to call our office. We love all of you! Here’s to your health and smile.

Warmly,

Dr. Goldman, Toni, Marie, Mary Beth, Rosa, Lina, Ashley, Sasha and Monica



In recognition of ongoing news reports and the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus, we realize our patients have questions. As dedicated health care professionals, we want you to know that we remain as diligent as ever in protecting the health and safety of our patients and staff. Our practice strictly adheres to and exceeds the standards for infection control by wearing personal protective gear, using hospital-grade disinfectants, practicing the latest sterilization protocols, utilizing single-use disposable materials, and more. Every effort we have in place is to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. We want you to know that we are monitoring this situation very closely, and we will keep you updated regularly.

Symptoms of coronavirus are reported as flu-like, with varying degrees of severity. While we do not know everything about this virus to date, individuals who are elderly and/or immunocompromised appear to be the most at risk of a severe infection. To ensure your health and safety, and the health and safety of everyone at our practice, please reschedule your appointment if you or a member of your household has a cough, fever, and/or flu-like symptoms. In addition, please reschedule your appointment if you have traveled to any areas within the past 14 days that are at high risk for contracting the coronavirus.

We thank you in advance and extend our gratitude for your understanding and cooperation. Together, we can help keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office, and one of our staff members will be more than happy to assist you.

Please view and share our latest COVID-19 Symptom Comparison Chart with your friends and family.

For further information, including measures to keep yourself healthy, visit the following links: