The Best Dentist in Wilmington Just Got Better

You know that *one* student in class who was always raising their hand, asking the teacher for extra assignments and busting the curve for everyone? That *one* student?  Is Dr. Gregory B. Garrett, who goes above and beyond to the Best Dentist in Wilmington… especially in the time of Covid. The American Dental Association (ADA) released guidelines for Dentist Offices to follow when re-opening during the pandemic:

• Before Dental Appointments
  • Dental office staff may call patients and ask questions about their current health status. They may repeat these questions when patients arrive to make sure nothing has changed.
  • Patients may have their temperature taken prior to any procedure.
  • Patients may be asked to bring and wear their own masks upon arrival at the dental office, particularly in states or cities that mandate the wearing of masks in public.
  • Patients may be asked to limit the number of people they bring to the appointment. That could mean leaving children at home under proper supervision or allowing older children who need dental care to go into the office alone while their parent waits outside during their appointment.
• During Dental Appointments
  • Patients may be asked to wait outside until the dental team is ready to see them to reduce the number of people in the office and the time patients are around other people.
  • Inside the office, things that many people often touch, like toys or magazines, may have been removed.
  • The office may have hand sanitizer available for patient use.
  • Dental staff may wipe down items patients touch, such as pens, clipboards or furniture.
  • The computer keyboard in the dental operatory may have a disposable cover so it can be easily cleaned between patients.
  • The dentist and team members may be using different protective equipment than they’ve used at previous appointments such as different masks, face shields, gowns and goggles.
• After Dental Appointments
  • Staff will thoroughly clean the areas where patients have been, using disinfectants that are effective against the virus that causes COVID-19.

While Dr. Garrett agrees with these guidelines, he decided it would be wise to take even more steps, in order to keep his customers and staff safe during these scary times.  And not just a few small steps, but massive leaps… he truly went above and beyond, which is why we are the best dentist in Wilmington!

Brand New Air Filtration System

The first thing that we did was install a state-of-the-art ionized air filtration system from Medify.  This system is currently on back order for most offices, but because we are associated with a consulting group out of CA that has negotiated a deal with Medify, we were moved to the front of the line.  We decided to install the system not only on the modern HVAC unit out back but also in every operatory… before we even considered opening back up. Some of the benefits of the air-filtration system include:

• The systems traps any virus then pumps out the now-purified air five times each hour
• An ionization process that kills the virus carriers and is then filtered without the virus particles
• Feeling almost safer in our offices than our own homes!

Pre-Appointment

Before we allow any patients into the building, we screen them outside.  We have our patients wait in their vehicles until we give them a call to start their screening, which includes a medical history and temperature/blood pressure check.  We stagger each appointment 10 minutes apart so we can clean and so that no patients overlap.  We then escort each patient to their rooms.

Appointment

Unlike many other updated dental offices, we still have doors leading to each operatory, which is fortunate.  We close  you in, and our employees aren’t just wearing a mask, but they are protected by the following PPE:

• N95 masks
• Head-to-toe gowns
• Face shields

Not only do we require our workers to wear these, but they are also single use; our employees are going through 52 wardrobe changes daily!  Many dental offices are charging a $25 Covid PPE fee; we are charging only $8 to offset the cost of the N95 masks.

Post-Appointment

The reason we staggered the appointments 10 minutes apart is so that we can CLEAN between each patient.  And when we say “Clean?”  We mean it! For surfaces we can reach, we use a hospital-grade disinfectant between each appointment. And for the hard-to-reach surfaces, we have a fogger that we use.  We let it sit for 10 minutes, as opposed to seven, before wiping it up.

Your Safety is #1

Dr. Garrett couldn’t imagine opening the practice and risking harm to his employees or patients.  We took the guidelines and went even further than necessary because he know that we can’t put a price tag on health and safety.  He knows that our staff is at the greatest risk and he couldn’t comfortably ask them to come back to work if he couldn’t insure their safety.  The staff is what makes his practice the Best Dentist in Wilmington, and he cares too much to risk their well-being. If you need to see the dentist but you are still nervous about coming out of quarentine, we completely understand.  Please feel free to give us a call at any time and we will be glad to answer any (Covid-related or non-Covid-related) questions that you might have. And please be safe out there!