“This office is doing an amazing job to protect patients during this scary Covid world. The staff is well protected and they are taking precautions from the minute you arrive at the office.”
Kim Purdum, Google Reviews
As a locally owned business, we’ve had our fair share of struggles like others throughout the Ellicott City community – and needing to get inside people’s mouths forces us to take even more extreme measures to keep ourselves and our patients safe. With the current rise in COVID cases, we wanted to show how our business can be an example of how others in the community can remain open, yet still be safe, in these uncertain times.
We planned, prepared, and invested greatly in both our patients’ and staff’s health and safety. Now, after operating under new protocols for the past 6 months, our office has solidified its new day-to-day routine.
Instead of opening back up immediately once the stay-at-home order was lifted, we opted to remain temporarily closed to ensure that our team was armed with the proper amount of PPE and safety training. The decision was a tough one to make, as staff were eager to officially welcome patients back again.
“It was difficult to stay closed as other offices were beginning to open up, but we felt that the health and safety of our patients and staff was priority number one,” said owner Dr. Kimberly Ford.
After securing all of the necessary PPE and training materials for her fellow dentists, dental assistants, and other employees, Dr. Ford confidently opened the doors to Ellicott Mills Dental again in June. Our team began reaching back out to patients to schedule safe-distance appointments and communicate new safety procedures.
To Protect Patients from COVID, a visit to the office now looks something like this:
1. Schedule your appointment online and download, print, and fill out any necessary paperwork from the Ellicott Mills Dental website.
2. Arrive at our office and remain in your car while you call or text to check-in.
3. Be greeted by a staff member outside who will take your temperature (while you’re both wearing masks, of course) and ask you a few screening questions. We will also use a pulse oximeter to measure your oxygen levels, as this has been proven to be one of the earliest indicators of reduced lung function.
4. Be escorted into the office by a staff member and led directly to your appointment.
“Over the summer it started to get pretty hot under our multiple layers of PPE, so we cranked up the A/C,” Dr. Ford explained. “But then our patients would get cold because they were dressed in shorts and T-shirts.”
“Even before COVID we kept blankets and pillows on hand because it helped nervous patients feel more comfortable during their appointments, so we continued to use them throughout the summer to solve the temperature problem and it worked out great! And of course we sanitize those items after each use, just like everything else.”
Here’s how our patients feel about our efforts:
As a result, we’ve seen a steady stream of patients since reopening, and have received promising feedback regarding the steps we’ve taken toward safety for all (like the one above, and this one below!).
Another patient left a recent review on google that states:
“Always a great experience with Dr.s Ford and Becker as well as the Hygienists and office staff. I’ve been going to this office for 20 years and recommend them to everyone that I know. This was my first time back since COVID, and they have adapted to create a very safe experience.”
We remain open today, and patients can call, text, or use our website to request an appointment. All updates about Ellicott Mills Dental’s COVID-19 procedures can be found here, and we can be contacted here with any questions or concerns, or to set up an appointment.
Visit cdc.gov/coronavirus to stay up to date on the latest information and safety procedures.
About Ellicott Mills Dental
Our team is passionate about and active in our Ellicott City community. Our patients are our friends, neighbors, and family, so it’s only fitting that we treat you as such. We provide dental services to all ages, from your high-energy five-year-old to your parents and grandparents; and we strive to keep you feeling comfortable throughout any procedure.
