COVID-19 Notice

Hello friends,

We hope this post finds you well!

As you know, our office has suspended dental visits except for emergency needs. In doing so, some of you have received phone calls/texts/emails to reschedule appointments that were in March, April and a portion of May. As we start to think about fully resuming practice again, there are several factors that weigh into our decision and we have spent hours trying to figure out best practices that will keep everyone safe and healthy.

Our first priority at Mintalar Dental is, and always has been, to take care of our family of patients and staff. Here are some changes that you may see:

• If you are feeling unwell, or are experiencing even mild symptoms, please reschedule your appointment.
• Prior to your appointment, we will be reaching out to confirm the date and time of your arrival, as well as ask additional health questions.
• We are practicing social distancing in our office and are limiting the amount of people in our waiting area. We ask that you arrive as close to your appointment time as possible.
• If you arrive early, please wait in your vehicle until your appointed time.
• Only patient’s with scheduled dental appointments will be allowed in the office. If you plan on having a driver or companion with you, they must remain in their vehicle.
• If you have a minor child or dependent with an appointment, one accompanying adult can remain in the clinical room with them. No other siblings or dependents may be present at the appointment.
• Our front door may be left open to avoid touching door handles in the summer and early fall.
• Our staff has been provided additional personal protective equipment (PPE) that increases their body temperature while working. This being said, our office temperature will be cooler than usual so please dress accordingly.
• All patients and accompanying adults must wear a mask/covering when you are in the office (only taken off when treatment is being provided).
• As you enter our office, please use the hand sanitizer that we have provided.
• We will take your temperature with a touchless infra-red thermometer prior to your appointment
• We will also have you swish and rinse with a mouth wash for one minute prior to treatment, which we will provide for you.

Mintalar Dental has always used Standard Universal Precautions (assumes that all patients may have unknown infections – like COVID19) when treating patients, and has had stringent infection control policies. However, we have added a few more protocols based on guidelines and recommendations from the CDC that will enhance our current practices. We will also be disinfecting the waiting areas, countertops, door handles, and restrooms between each patient. We are confident that in our clinic rooms, as well as in other parts of our office, we are able to keep both patients and staff safe and healthy.

The unfortunate reality is that the longer our dental practices remain closed to preventive care, or for treatment of early dental disease, the more likely that untreated disease will progress to more complex treatment down the road. Unfortunately, for some of us, a delay of treatment may make the difference between a basic filling, or a visit to the root canal specialist. We are also concerned about the progression of gum disease and bone loss with the delay of preventative cleaning appointments.

We also realize that some of you may have had changes in employment or insurance benefits. If you have any questions in regards to your dental treatment and benefits, please reach out to our office as soon as possible.

We want to thank you for your continued patience as we start to bring you back into the office for dental visits. Our staff will be in touch as we work on scheduling your appointments in the upcoming weeks. Feel free to reach out to them as well if you would like to schedule or reschedule an appointment.

We recognize that although we may all be in this same storm; we are not all in the same boat. There may be concerns that you have that I may have overlooked in this letter. Know that we are all here to assist you in any way we can. Also, feel free to reach out to us if you have questions or thoughts on any of the information we shared with you today. We are hopeful and confident we can work together to make this transition forward as smooth as possible for us all!

Warmest regards and we look forward to seeing you soon,

Eric R. Mintalar, DDS
Sara – Office Manager, Licensed Dental Assistant
Marilou – Office administrator
Rachel – Registered Dental Hygienist
Kelley – Registered Dental Hygienist
Hanna – Licensed Dental Assistant
Brianna – Licensed Dental Assistant