COVID Precautions at Our Office

While proper utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE) is not a new concept to us, we have added additional protocols to ensure we are exceeding all current guidelines. 

What can you expect from your appointment?

Your appointment will look a bit different. We ask if you are feeling sick, have a fever, cough, or runny nose to please reschedule your appointment. 

Once you arrive for your appointment, please remain in your car.  We ask that you text the office at (860) 232-4511 with your full name to let us know you have arrived.  If you cannot text, please call our office at 860-521-6767. We will ask you to complete a health questionaire. A team member will meet you to take your temperature. If your temperature is above 100.4 degrees F, we will reschedule your appointment. Otherwise, our team member will escort you into the office for your appointment.

We require patients to wear a face mask as you enter and leave the office. Patients and team must wash their hands or utilize hand sanitizer prior to each appointment.

We ask that only the patient enter the office for their scheduled appointment or one guardian for our pediatric patients. If you require medical assistance, they may accompany you into your appointment. 

The furniture in our waiting room has been arranged in an effort to promote social distancing. Please keep social distancing in mind as you move through the office.

We ask you to contact our office if you notice any changes in your health within 14 days after your appointment.

How are we keeping our team and patients safe?

We practice “universal precautions”. This means that we treat each procedure as if disease could be spread. We are prepared for any potentially communicable disease and have the same exceptionally high standard of care each and every day. We want you to feel confident that we are continually meeting and exceeding the standard of care. Here are just some of our infection control protocols:

  • Hospital grade disinfectant (kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria and viruses) is used on all surfaces between each patient. This includes the dental chair, the dental light, hand mirrors, counter tops, sinks, and drawer handles.
  • Disposable plastic coverings are placed on high touch areas and disposed of after each patient visit. 
  • Dental instruments are sterilized after each patient and regular monitoring and testing is performed to confirm our equipment is functioning effectively.
  • Our team wears personal protective equipment (PPE) to maintain their safety as well as yours. Hands are cleaned before and after each patient. Masks, gloves, safety glasses, and scrubs are worn.
 

Enhanced procedures we have implemented for your safety:

  • Our pre-appointment screening questions are vitally important to identify potential carriers of COVID19. We ask you to please answer these questions honestly. We will also offer teledentistry on an as needed basis.
  • Extensive training in infection control and specifically COVID19 has been provided to our team.
  • We perform daily recorded health screenings including temperature checks on each of our team members.
  • A team member has been assigned to regularly sanitize all touch points including door handles, waiting room surfaces, and the patient bathroom.
  • Acrylic shields have been placed at our front desk.
  • We have installed air purification units in each treatment room.  These are HEPA-13 medical grade and filter 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns including but not limited to viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust, and mold.
  • We have developed a Respiratory Protection Program for our clinical team.  Each clinical team member has been fitted for use of N95 masks.
  • Our clinical team members will be wearing eye protection, faceshields, and isolation gowns. We launder on site so all uniforms remain in the office, free of outside contaminates. This also protects our team from bringing germs home.
  • We are introducing the use of Isodry to our office. Isodry is a dental isolation system that helps to reduce aerosol production.
  • We are staggering appointment times to allow proper time for room turn over and minimize patient interaction.
  • We encourage financial arrangements to be made in advance to allow a contactless exit from your appointment.
 

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 practice.  To make an appointment, please call our office at 860-232-4511. 

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

 

Dr. Alyssa Kievit, DMD

Dr. Robert Kievit, DMD

We want to hear from you!

Dr. Alyssa Kievit

Dr. Alyssa McIntyre Kievit first committed to the dentistry career path when she was in high school. “I don’t come from a line of dentists so I relied heavily on the dental community to foster my interest and gain insight on how to achieve this goal. I made cold calls to local offices, explaining my interest, and asked if I could work as a volunteer intern. A local orthodontist hired me as an assistant and trained me on the job. I attribute this experience to what really opened the doors for me to begin my career path.”

As a native to Newtown, Connecticut, Dr. Kievit is happy to be practicing in her home state. Dr. Kievit attended Syracuse University where she graduated magna cum laude with an honors distinction in Biology. She earned her doctorate from the University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine.

To further her skills, she completed a general dentistry residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, splitting her time between the Upper East Side hospital campus and Harlem satellite dental clinic. “It was here I really learned the importance of breaking down barriers to achieving dental health. Many of my patients did not have access to routine care and came to our clinic embarrassed and feeling quite hopeless. Dentistry is so much more than treating disease. We treat the whole person and I love that my job allows me to improve health and overall happiness.”

When not in the office, Dr. Kievit can be found volunteering with her five year old golden retriever, Lucy. “We named her Lucy because we love Lucille Ball and have spent so many evenings laughing together with her onscreen antics. Lucy has lived up to her name, she is goofy and full of personality.” In December 2017, Lucy was awarded registration with Intermountain Therapy Animals. “Lucy brings so much joy to our lives that we wanted to share that with others. We ultimately would like to work with R.E.A.D, a program designed to promote children’s literacy and communication by reading to dogs.”

Call our office today if you’re looking for a personalized approach to your dental care. We look forward to meeting you!