May 12, 2020
Dear Friends,
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our country and community have been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. As you have likely heard we are now open with some updates and limitations. 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. I would suspect that you have seen this clearly during your past visits to our office. Our Indian Ripple office was planned from the ground up with that in mind. The rebuild of the Lakeview office from last year’s tornado damage is finally expected to be complete and reopen in June with the same upgrades. Our care and our infection control processes are designed such that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. We want to share with you information about the procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the 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 literally daily so that we are up to date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do so to ensure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agency’s recommendations. During this time away from patient care, I have personally spent well over 150 hours in continuing education. This included a full Master’s degree level series on Virology and many others on Infection Control. In addition, my staff has spent much of their time on online webinars and meetings for your benefit. We have mandated specific courses for their advanced training prior to returning.
You may see some updates when it is time for your next appointment. We have implemented these changes in the interest of attention to detail and for the protection of our patients and staff. For example:
Amongst all this change, many positives exist: This situation will result in significant and rapid advances in microbiology and virology – ones that should preclude this sort of event in the future. Advances in vaccines and pharmacology are inevitable. Funding for research that was cut off in the 1990’s should be restored and lead to greater understanding. Technology and equipment will improve and result in the next generation of advances in dental care, improved overall health, and increased safety.
From the standpoint of your own dental care, we know that the delays in available care may have allowed some dental or periodontal problems to advance. It will take us some time to get everyone caught up. We have the State’s approval to gradually ramp up, as the availability of protective equipment improves. We will be back with you on a limited basis Monday, working more towards full care shortly.
We look forward to seeing you again 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. To make an appointment, please call our office at (937) 426-5340 or visit our website at roddydental.com.
Thank you for your patience during these times ad for being a part of our family. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, family, and friends.
Sincerely,
Ronald L. Roddy, DDS
