Providing care for Madison, Fitchburg & Sun Prairie during pandemic
We take great pride in treating the Madison community safely during the COVID-19 lockdown. We maintain guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA). At this time all of our clinic locations are open and are providing dental care services including family dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, and endodontics. We have enhanced our protocols so we can safely administer care to our patients at all 7 of our clinic locations in Middleton, Fitchburg, Maple Bluff, Monona, Shorewood Hills, Sun Prairie, and Madison.
Update – 6/4/2020
Our clinics are open!
New safety protocols for all clinics
When you arrive at one of our Madison-area clinics there are new procedures in place to ensure the safety of you and our dentists. For more information about what you can expect at each of our locations (due to Covid-19), please watch the videos below:
Update – 5/8/2020
Stay safe from COVID-19 while receiving dental care
At this time our clinics are open to serve our community. You will see a number of changes when it is time for your next appointment. We have implemented these changes to help protect our patients, staff, and community.
- Prior to your appointment, your clinic will reach out to confirm your appointment and ask some screening questions. Those same questions will be asked again when you are in the office. If you are able, we ask that you come to your appointment alone.
- Note – For Ortho patients, in which we had emails on file, we sent this letter.
- Social distancing protocols vary by clinic depending on size and layout of our waiting areas and entrances. Some clinics we ask that you call to check-in when you arrive while other clinics you may enter our facilities to be greeted at a temperature check station. If you are a patient that is asked to call the clinic when you arrive, please call and then remain in your vehicle until our staff contacts you.
CLINIC | General Dentistry | Orthodontics | Periodontics | Endodontics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
American Center | Enter Clinic Upon Arrival | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | ||
East | Enter Clinic Upon Arrival | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | Enter Clinic Upon Arrival | |
Downtown | Use Keypad by Parking Ramp to get “Buzzed” in | |||
South | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | Enter Clinic Upon Arrival | Enter Clinic Upon Arrival |
West-Old Sauk | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | ||
West-Gammon | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | Call from Parking Lot to Check-in | ||
University | Enter Clinic Upon Arrival |
- Upon entering the clinic, you will stop at a screening desk to have your temperature taken and will be provided a mask if you have not brought your own.
- You will be taken, promptly, back to your patient room for your appointment. You will be asked to sign our Covid-19 Virus Dental Treatment Consent Form.
- Prior to starting your procedure, you will be asked to rinse with a hydrogen peroxide solution to reduce the viral load.
- After your procedure is completed, we will ask you to reapply your face mask and exit the building.
Other protocols that we have implemented at our clinics include:
- Disinfecting commonly touched surfaces on a regular schedule
- Removal of reading materials and children’s toys from our waiting rooms
- Social distancing throughout the clinic
- Temperature checks for both staff and patients
- Enhanced PPE and plexiglass dividers where appropriate
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your clinic.
Update – 4/24/2020
Please see below for an email that was sent to patients (if we had their email in our system):
Dear Valued Patient,
For the past 50 years, Dental Health Associates has taken great pride in treating our patients compassionately and safely. We have always maintained strict adherence to regulations from the CDC and ADA. Universal precautions, such as masks, gloves, eye protection, and disinfection of treatment rooms have been standards in our practice for more than 30 years. Our sterilization procedures remain state-of-the-art, with instruments being sterilized before any use.
The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic has not changed our guiding principles. For more than a month now, we have been providing urgent/emergency care only and have been adhering to the new CDC and ADA guidelines.
So, what is different now? Any of you who may have been treated in any of our clinics since March 16th will have noticed differences before ever arriving. Over the phone, we are asking universally accepted screening questions to increase safety for all. We are also requesting those who can arrive alone for their appointment do so. We encourage you to wear your face covering into our clinic. We expect these steps to continue for the foreseeable future.
Commonly touched surfaces such as door handles and counter-tops are disinfected on a regular schedule multiple times throughout the day. We have removed reading materials from our clinics to further minimize transmission of the Covid-19 virus. Social distancing is being followed in our common areas. We are constantly re-evaluating scheduling, staffing and other items to adhere to the recommendations we have all been practicing the last several weeks.
As a staff, we are all starting each day by taking our own temperatures. We will also take your temperature when you arrive.
Our level of PPE (personal protective equipment) has been enhanced in accordance with the most recent CDC and ADA recommendations. Our patient coordinators will be wearing face masks and practicing social distancing when they greet you. Rest assured, it is the same warm, caring person it has always been, behind the mask.
Additionally, our clinical staff: assistants, hygienists and dentists will all be wearing the most effective, CDC approved, face masks available. Face shields are now recommended, so our staff will be wearing these for almost every appointment. Again, these are the same caring, skilled people you have come to know and trust. If regulations for dentistry are modified further know we will adhere to them. We are, through multiple sources, working diligently to obtain all necessary garments to perform dentistry.
Over the last month, new regulations have been instituted for gowns. As a result, we will be wearing additional, either disposable or washable, jackets, scrubs or gowns. We are, through multiple sources, working diligently to obtain needed garments. Regulations on a federal and state level are still being clarified but know we will adhere to them.
Another change which, again, the CDC and ADA have recommended, is a pre-procedure mouth rinse. What is that? Immediately before any procedure, we will give you 10ml of a 1.5% hydrogen peroxide rinse. We will ask you to rinse for 30 seconds with 5ml and spit it into the suction. Rinse again with the other 5ml for 30 seconds and spit. The goal is to lessen any virus particles in saliva being spread into the air.
So, as we anticipate returning to a more normal level of dental care, please know we are following all guidelines associated with preventing the spread of Covid-19. As further clarifications and changes are made, we will be implementing those, too. We are working daily to not only implement, but also anticipate further precautions. Above are just a few of the list of topics we are addressing, however, knowing they are the most visible changes, we wanted to specifically touch on them.
For more information, here are links for the most recent CDC, WHO, ADA and WDA guidance for preventing spread of Covid-19.
Dental Health Associates will soon resume providing restorative and preventative care. If you have more specific questions, please feel free to ask us. We want you to be safe, confident and comfortable in our clinics.
Warm Regards,
Dental Health Associates
Update – 4/8/2020
The current recommendation of the ADA is that dentists keep their offices closed until April 30 for all but urgent and emergency procedures. Dental Health Associates is following that recommendation and our clinics remain closed.
Should you experience a dental emergency, please call your clinic and our team will evaluate your situation and determine the best course of action.
Update – 3/27/2020
At this time, we are adjusting schedules on a week-by-week basis. We do know that we will remain closed for regular/non-emergency appointments the week of March 30th. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time.
Our clinics are CLOSED effective at end of business March 16th, 2020.
After further evaluation of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the decision to close our clinics effective at end of business March 16th, 2020.
If you have a scheduled appointment in the immediate future, a member of our staff will contact you to reschedule.
Should you experience a dental emergency, please call your clinic and our team will evaluate your situation and determine the best course of action.
The safety of our patients, staff, and the community continues to be our top priority and we will continue monitoring the COVID-19 situation and adhere to all necessary guidelines. We will return to normal business hours as soon as it’s deemed safe to do so. Continue checking this page for additional updates.
Business hour updates during coronavirus lockdown
During this temporary closure, we’ll have some slight adjustments to our business hours.
- Clinics will be able to receive calls between 7:30am-4:00pm (Monday – Friday)
- Should you need assistance after hours, please call your clinic and leave a voicemail. Someone will return your call as quickly as possible.
- Billing will be able to receive calls between 8:00am-2:00pm (Monday – Friday)
- Should you need assistance after hours, please call (608-661-6410) and leave a voicemail or email billing@dhamadison.com
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Update – 3/27/2020
Clinic Update
We Care About More Than Just Your Teeth
When it is deemed safe to open, we will continue to be conscious of high-risk individuals. The CDC recommends that high-risk individuals consider rescheduling their hygiene and non-emergency dental procedures.
High-risk is defined as:
- Individuals age 70 and older.
- Individuals that have serious chronic medical conditions (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, etc.)
When we re-open, we want to assure you of the measures we take to maintain a clean and safe environment so you can receive dental care without fear or concern. We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and all CDC guidelines very closely. Additional steps are in place to ensure our processes meet or exceed sanitation and sterilization standards of care.
When the time comes, you can visit our clinics with confidence, knowing we take additional measures to provide for the safety of our patients and our team:
- Consistent infection control standards: thorough sterilization and disinfection of treatment rooms and instruments between each patient; proper hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, masks, eye-wear), respiratory hygiene / cough etiquette, sharps safety, safe injection practices (when applicable), sterile instruments and devices.
- Infection Mitigation in common areas. This includes regularly wiping down front desk areas, furniture, door handles and the removal of magazines and children’s activity area and prize machines.
- Preemptive patient screening: appointment rescheduling is highly encouraged for any patient experiencing symptoms of an illness; in-office patient screening for symptoms prior to receiving treatment.
We value your trust in us.
We understand your decision to visit us is personal and many factors are involved. Please know that we remain committed to the importance of your dental health, comfort and safety.
Contact our Madison area dentists to learn more or schedule an appointment.
What if I miss my appointment because of Covid-19?
We understand that there are times when you may not be able to make an appointment because of extenuating circumstances including the Covid-19 pandemic.
- General/Family Dental Patients: One of our Dentists, Dr. Rebecca Weightman has recommendations for missed appointments during a pandemic. To learn more about missed appointments visit: Family & General Missed Appointments
- Orthodontic Patients: One of our Orthodontists, Dr. Audra Long has recommendations for missed appointments during a pandemic. To learn more about missed ortho appointments visit: Orthodontic Patients Missed Appointments
Will I have to sign a consent form before I receive treatment?
Yes all of our clinics have implemented a Covid-19 Consent Form that is required for patients to sign before we perform any dental services or treatments.
