OUR CLINICS ARE OPEN!

Infection control has always been a top priority at the UB School of Dental Medicine, and you may have seen this during your visits to our school. 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 follow at our school to keep patients and staff safe.

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine 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 so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.

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

1.      Our school will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again, as well as take your temperature, when you come for an appointment at the school.

2.      There will be new signage outside and throughout the inside of Squire Hall with instructions for your appointment.

3.      You will be required to wear face coverings while in Squire Hall.

4.      We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the school. There will also be some in other areas of the school for you to use as needed.

5.      You will see that our waiting rooms will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.

6.      Appointments will be managed to allow social distancing between patients in our clinic. That will mean that you will be offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.

7.      You will notice there will only be certain chairs in the clinic being used. This is for acceptable social distancing.

To learn more, you can visit this link to view a video of the changes that were implemented. 

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 school. 

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Sincerely,

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Team

Learn more

The safety of our patients, faculty, staff, students and visitors is our utmost priority. As such, we have established specific COVID-19 screening measures and are continuing to follow stringent infection prevention protocols. We ask all patient and visitors to notify us in advance if they feel they are at risk for COVID-19, and to take preventative measures for the safety of themselves, and others.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days, you have flu-like symptoms such as a cough or fever, newly developed shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, or if you are unvaccinated and have recently been in contact with someone who has suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19, please call us at 716-239-4801 to reschedule your appointment.

As a safety measure to our students, staff and other patients, we are unable to treat patients who present with any of these symptoms and we require a 5 day waiting period for an appointment if you are unvaccinated and have recently been in contact with someone with suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. The health and safety of our patients, visitors, students and staff is our upmost priority.

 

Symptoms and Preventive Measures

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may be similar to the flu or the common cold. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia and other complications, especially in infants, older individuals and those with underlying health conditions.

Please review the CDC website for the latest travel advisories when considering travel for yourself or your family. Also, remember that your best defense to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19 is to follow good prevention practices:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, like your cell phone.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home if you are feeling sick.