The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our practice on almost every level. We have made and are in the process of making many changes relative to the virus. Our changes are driven by SAFETY and balanced with practicality; the changes will not always be popular, but they are indeed necessary. Please read this important message.

Dr. Moore has spent many hours researching the best way of handling the pandemic in his office. We strive to be the safest orthodontic practice above all else.

• Decreased patient flow for safer distancing.
• Increased spacing between clinical chairs in the main operatories.
• Transition of in-office brushing station to hand washing station. Brush at home prior to the appointment, excellent hygiene remains important.
• Investment in isolation, air filtration, barriers, sterilization and other office upgrades. The air filtration system in the office has been upgraded and newly installed using the latest technology to remove .4 micron particles.
• Patients and parents must present with adequate masks covering the mouth and nose.
• Changing several clinical techniques to minimize aerosol exposure.
• Improvements in PPE for staff, required masks for patients, enhanced patient intake procedures.
• Frequent disinfection of non-clinical surfaces.
• Scheduling appointments primarily over the phone.
• Frequently relaying treatment status and their next appointment via text or phone call.
• If you are receiving a call from an unfamiliar number while your child is in our office please pick up. It’s us!
• Continuing to sterilize using the latest techniques and have on hand more instruments and supplies.
• Remote consultations, no siblings or parents allowed in treatment or waiting room.

• Limiting the number of non-patient individuals in the office is critical to the health of our employees and our patient families.
• As with all previous correspondence, we continue to request that parents please wait in the car. Siblings without an appointment are not allowed to be in our office at any time. You may accompany your child to the front door of our office, of course. managing the lobby is our biggest struggle of all with COVID 19. We would love more than anything to talk with parents and siblings, and enjoy seeing one another, but that is not fully possible right now.
  
  • Parents are asked to either wait in their car or run errands. Your child or the office will call you when treatment is completed and you will be given your next appointment.
  • This has been implemented well in other health fields and we feel this will be the most effective and safe method of communication. We dislike the “new normal”, but your Child’s health is most important.
  • Due to the high danger of viral transmission via aerosols, bonding of braces will require an accurate Covid 19 screening test. The rapid test is not accurate. Most hospitals in the world require this for even minor procedures, not even near the lungs and mouth.
  • This inconvenience is critical to safeguard everyone’s families, during this pandemic.
  • Parents will only be allowed to enter our clinic areas if requested to do so by a staff member. Patients cannot wear their masks while they have an adjustment done, so we cannot have additional people in the clinic.
  • The waiting room is closed to provide for social distancing.

You will be asked the following COVID 19 questions:

1. Have you traveled outside the state of Alaska in the past 14 days? If yes have you taken the molecular COVID test (3+ day turn-around) or quarantined for 5 days.
2. Have you had a fever, sore throat, dry cough or trouble breathing in the past 14 days?
3. Have you knowingly been exposed to anyone with the COVID virus?
4. Have you had close contact with anyone exhibiting symptoms of a fever, cough, trouble breathing, loss of sense of smell or taste?

Answering “Yes” to any of these questions will result in the need to reschedule you or your child’s appointment out two weeks from the current appointment scheduled.

Temperatures will continue to be taken on all patients upon checking in. Our staff are also subject to the outside COVID-related pressures and inconveniences that our patient families face with jobs and at-home learning. They are working at a job with inflexible hours and in direct exposure to all hazardous aerosols from patients and parents. If we have a staff member unable to work due to a COVID-related event, it could result in the need to reschedule patients with little notice. We will do our best to balance safety and convenience and minimize reschedules (we have not had to reschedule due to this yet) but we want you to know ahead of time that this could happen.

Questions and concerns may be directed to Orie or Theresa at mjustindmd@gci.net . Thank you for your understanding during these difficult times!

Dr. Moore and staff