We are so thrilled to be open for business and accepting appointments for new patients. The health and wellness of our patients and our staff is our top priority and we are committed to your safety .

Our office continues to follow infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New Jersey State Board of Dentistry and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the guidelines of these agencies to remain up-to-date on new rulings and guidelines that are issued.

Rest assured that our staff follow a very strict protocol for monitoring symptoms at the beginning, during and at the end of every work day. Our office is equipped with the proper PPE and adhere to recommended engineering controls to make our work environment safe and productive. We also established the following safety protocols and you will see them when it is time for your next appointment:

Before Your Appointment

  • Our office will communicate with you beforehand for some screening questions via email, text or a phone call. There is a COVID-19 Form which will be available on our website.
  • Please stay in your car until your appointment time (and after receiving our confirmation) that you can enter the office. We do this in order to have enough time to properly sanitize between patients and maximize social distancing.
  • Even though we welcome walk-in appointments, all patients are still required to call ahead before entering the office, so we can allow them inside.
  • Anyone who enters the office will be required to wear a mask or face covering throughout their visit. The mask is only to be removed upon dental treatment and put back again upon exiting the treatment room. We will provide masks in the case you may not have them.

During your Appointment

  • You will be asked those same screening questions again when you are in the office, and we will take your temperature.
  • If a patient/parent has a fever, sore throat, cough, or any respiratory symptoms, they will be asked to reschedule their appointment.
  • Only patients and ONE accompanying parent are allowed in the office. Any additional family members or friends will be asked to wait in the car.
  • We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when entering the office and right before entering the treatment room.
  • We are not offering magazines or children’s toys in our waiting area since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. Any brochures or paperwork will be provided to you by the staff on a personalized manner.
  • Co-payment for a visit will be collected prior to the appointment or when you check-in to minimize patient-to-patient and patient-to-staff contact.
  • Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That could mean that you may be offered fewer options for scheduling your appointments.
  • 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.
  • All future appointments will be scheduled at the chair or via phone call after your visit, if necessary.

After Your Appointment

  • We will be calling or texting you two days after your appointment for post screening questions (according to CDC guidelines)
  • Please inform us by text message, phone call, and email if you have any COVID-19 symptoms within 14 days of your dental visit.

We understand these are extraordinary times but we will all get through it together. We look forward to seeing you and are happy to answer any questions you have about the steps we are taking to keep you safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at (862) 330-3021.

We look forward to welcoming you into our practice,

Sincerely,
Dr Fernando Tordoya and the staff at Family Smiles of Ringwood