During these uncertain times of COVID-19-related social distancing and gradual re-opening of our country and our state, we are happy to report that River Dentistry, your favorite Downtown Los Angeles dental office is open for business and continues to serve our patients and the community of Downtown Los Angeles area.
Our office is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM by appointment only. Please note that as our dental office reopens these working hours may fill up quickly and are subject change, so please call us in advance to schedule and to confirm your appointment. Our existing patients always have priority when reserving available time slots, but if you are a new patient we will do our best to accommodate your appointment requests as quickly as possible.
What You Need to Know As Our Dental Office Reopens
As our dental office reopens, to protect our patients and staff, in addition to limited schedule we will strictly follow the CDC/ADA/CDA-recommended social distancing and enhanced safety procedures:
- Wearing a masks or facial covering while inside our dental office is required of all customers. Anything as simple as a bandana will suffice. Please come in with a mask.
- You need to be healthy to be treated. Please stay home if you are feeling sick or have general feeling of malaise. We will take your temperature prior to taking you to the operatory.
- If you have any symptoms such as persistent fever, sore throat, dry cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, or similar, please do not come in and call us to cancel your appointment free of charge.
- You will be required to complete and sign our COVID-19 questionnaire form and other intake forms prior to your appointment. For efficiency and safety, we encourage you to complete all required forms online.
Services We Can Provide as Our Dental office Reopens
At this time, we will continue to provide a range of services focusing on urgent and emergency dental care including treating pain, infection, swelling, limited range of motion, broken teeth, loose or cracked fillings, etc. as well as offer dental exams.
Services We May Defer Even If Our Dental Office is Open
For your and our staff safety, at this time we will not perform prophylaxis and periodontal procedures that involve producing large amounts of aerosols, such as dental cleaning and deep cleaning, since one of the main modes of COVID-19 transmission is through aerosols. Unfortunately, many dental procedures produce aerosols, especially those that involve use of ultrasonic units in dental prophylaxis and scaling/root planning, commonly referred to as cleaning and deep cleaning respectively.
We Have Invested in New Safety Equipment
For this reason, even though our dental office is open, we have decided to delay providing these procedures until we have necessary safety equipment in place. Recently we have purchased extra-oral aerosol evacuation units in order to help reduce the aerosols in our environment. We have also purchased HEPA filters with UV-C light to help filter the air from aerosols and kill viruses/bacteria.
We expect this safety equipment to arrive by mid-June if everything goes as planned. Once it is delivered, we will test the units and produce an informational video that we will share with you and our community. We will email you once these evacuation units arrive and update you on our progress.
Maintain Healthy Oral Hygiene as Our Dental Office Reopens
In the meantime, we ask you to help us flatten the dental conditions curve by maintaining healthy oral hygiene:
- This includes brushing your teeth 2 times a day for 2 minutes or 30 seconds per quadrant (upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left).
- Flossing is extremely important especially if you are genetically prone to calculus accumulation. We suggest flossing after every meal within 20 minutes after eating to help minimize calculus buildup. For best results, please use non-waxed tape-like floss.
- We also suggest using an electric toothbrush and a water irrigation device if you have braces, crowns, bridges, or implants.
- Finally, use fluoride rinses 2-3 times a day. Crest, ACT, or Listerine Total Care are over-the-counter options that are easily available.
Finally, while we are doing all we can to provide the highest degree of patient and staff safety, we also understand that it is up to your discretion whether or not you feel comfortable to return to dental care. Dentistry is a high-risk profession, especially in the COVID-19 era. We anticipate this to continue until there is a vaccine or cure.
You can learn more about how to protect yourself and your family, what you should do if you feel sick, or how you can get tested by visiting CDC, CDPH, and LA County coronavirus emergency websites.
Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to serving you and your loved ones. To make an appointment, please call us at 213-486-0006 or make your appointment online.