Our NEW NORMAL at Family Dental Care

As a dental practice with many branches throughout Durban and Cape Town, we already have rigid hygiene protocols to maintain and optimize infection control.

As a result of the spread of COVID-19 and progressing down into the lower lockdown levels we have put a whole lot more protocols in place upon opening up to the public again. These additional protocols on top of already existing protocols are carried out every day in every one of our practices.

The health and safety of all of our staff members and patients always remains a priority of ours, especially our dentists whom are regarded as frontline workers in Durban and Cape Town.

Precautions being taken at the practices:

1. Upon arrival to the practice, the temperature of all staff members and patients is taken and recorded.
2. Hygiene stations have been set-up outside of the practice with hand sanitisers.
3. Whenever someone enters the practice, they are required to sanitise.
4. Only patients being treated will be allowed into the practice unless a minor is accompanied by a parent
5. The appointments are largely spaced out allowing enough time for the full sanitization and cleansing of the surgery rooms between patients
6. All surfaces, door handles, pens, clipboards and card machines are wiped down after each patient leaves the practice.

Precautions being taken by each staff member and dentist:

1. All staff members wear face masks for the duration of their day at the practice.
2. The temperatures of each staff member are taken and recorded upon their arrival.
3. All dentists are required to wear full PPE (personal protective equipment) throughout their day of consulting patients. This includes wearing a hazmat suit, 3 ply mask, N95, face shield, eye goggles, shoe covers and gloves.
4. Dentists request their patients have a pre-rinse before their appointment to kill any harmful bacteria that could enter the air during treatment.
5. At times, the dentists will make use of a rubber dam during treatment to only expose the area they are required to treat.
6. All patient paperwork is completed online to avoid touching pens and papers at the practice.

After extensive research had been conducted using local and international sources, Family Dental Care adapted and have successfully maintained extremely high levels of hygiene using recommended protocols and hospital grade sanitation and sterilsation protocols.

For those patients regarded as high risk during this pandemic, we will ensure that you are well taken after and that the appointment is the very first one of the day! Please ensure that if you are a high-risk patient attending any medical facility that you instruct the medical professionals of this prior to booking your appointment.

As a patient of any Family Dental Care practice in Durban and Cape Town, you can be assured that you will be entering a dental practice with optimised infection control and heightened hygiene conditions.

To book an appointment with any one of our practices, visit our website under contact us to find the branch closest to you!