COVID-19

*UPDATE: Beginning on April 3, 2023 masks and facial coverings will no longer be required to come into the office per the California Dental Association. If you would like to continue wearing one, you are more than welcome to do so. 

We understand any concerns about coming in for routine dental appointments, especially due to the constant fluctuation of the local virus numbers. We are still accepting appointments for routine visits as we strongly believe that oral health is integral to overall health. If you, as a patient, do not feel comfortable coming in - we completely understand. We ask that you please let us know in advance if you would like to postpone your appointment. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of our offices. University City (858)453-4514 or Rancho Bernardo (858)485-6400.

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 infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it's both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we will follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the California Dental Association (CDA), American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to ensure that our infection control procedures are current, effective and adhere to each agencies' recommendations.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

• You will be asked to wear a face mask prior to entering the office. If you do not have one, we can provide you with one. *We will continue to require facial coverings until we are instructed by the California Dental Association that it is no longer necessary.*
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you're offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• We installed UVC lighting for further protection against germs, viruses, etc.

For the protection of all our patients and staff, we are requesting the following:

If you have an illness or are exhibiting symptoms, we recommend you cancel and reschedule your dental appointment. Some illnesses and symptoms include:

• a cold or the flu
• fever or nausea
• severe headaches or body aches
• muscle or stomach pain, chest pain or difficulty breathing
• vomiting or diarrhea
• active tuberculosis (TB)
• mumps, measles, chickenpox
• other contagious disease

Please notify our staff before your appointment if you or someone you are in close contact with has recently traveled or if you have been exposed to someone else who was diagnosed with COVID-19 or who was quarantined as a precaution.

We look forward to seeing you and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. Our team will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated information when warranted. Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us immediately.