Dear Valued Patient, 

We sincerely hope that you, your friends and family are healthy during these potentially stressful times. 

In accordance with recommendations for dental offices during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have put plans in place to serve the needs of my patients. At Diamond Dental Studio, we take the safety of our community, our patients, and our team very seriously. I will only be evaluating patients who have urgent or emergency dental needs. I will keep this plan in place until restrictions are lifted. 

As President of the South Carolina Dental Association, as well as your dentist, I have been fol- lowing the developments of COVID-19 as well as the guidelines and recommendations from the government health agencies and professional organizations. I must implement the plan to re- strict dental visits based on the recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), SC DHEC, our state dental association, American Dental Association (ADA), and the South Carolina State Board of Dentistry. 

In order to continue to be available for all of my patients during this time

1. I will check office voicemail and office text messages at 9am and 3pm Monday -Thursday.
2. I am still available outside of these hours for emergencies. If you find yourself in this situation, please call me at 803-260-7125. 

I will be using the CDC COVID-19 screening questions before scheduling any urgent or emergency appointments. 

1. Have you or someone close to you had any contact with individuals that may have shown symptoms of respiratory illness, which includes but is not limited to sore throat, sneezing, coughing or fever?
2. Have you have traveled internationally in the last 14 days?
3. Have you visited or occupied any area that the government has determined is high-risk?

If you are asked to come in for an appointment, please keep in mind that I am not allowing any patients to overlap each other. No one is allowed to sit in the waiting room. We ask companions to wait in their car for the patient. 

Please periodically look for updates on our website www.diamonddentalcolumbia.com or our Facebook page. Please call or text 803-738-1114 or email care@diamonddentalcolumbia.com if you have any questions. As I mentioned already, for urgent or emergency concerns after hours, please call my cell phone 803-260-7125. 

I appreciate your understanding during this time to help us get through this together. Please do your best to stay healthy! 

With warmest regards,
Julia Mikell 

Click Here For Tips On How to Stay Safe

I have attached a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol for the best practices for keeping you and your family safe and healthy during this time.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Most importantly are the following recommendations:Wash your hands. Bar soap works fine. I sing the Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star song to make sure I wash for the required amount of time. (When you do this you will recognize how long it really takes to have clean hands.)

• Wash your hands. Bar soap works fine. I sing the Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star song to make sure I wash for the required amount of time. (When you do this you will recognize how long it really takes to have clean hands.)
• Wash your children’s hands. Have them sing too-it makes it more fun!
• Disinfect your phone twice a day. You can wipe it down with those Lysol wipes. Remember, your phone is ALWAYS on you. It is picking up germs everywhere you set it down and then you put it up to your face.
• Be reasonable about attending public gatherings. What does this mean? Don’t have a toddler birthday party right now. Don’t go to a big meeting/ party with lots of people you don’t know. Stay home if you can. Be reasonable.
• What if I work with the public? A mask is not going to help you. In fact, it will make things worse. The mask will accumulate germs on the outside and soak through to your face! Why do we wear them in dentistry? We are constantly bombarded with wet spray from the work that we do. That is why we change our masks 10-15-20 times a day. A single mask on my face all day would be a massive hazard to me. Gloves would help you. If you handle money, some disposable gloves will help you – just don’t touch your face, wipe your hair, or adjust your glasses with them on. Use them as a reminder NOT to touch your face. Finally, I would recommend that you buy some Clorox or Lysol wipes and wipe down your workspace a couple of times a day.
• What if I feel sick? Don’t panic. If you feel flu-like symptoms, it is reasonable to cancel all appointments, not go to work, and you should call your physician. A mask still won’t help you, but it might help others. Again, it won’t help keep you from being sick. But if you are already sick, a mask will help you not spread your germs and any disease. Don’t wear one mask all day! If you are sick, wear the mask for short periods of time when you MUST interact with people. The mask will still accumulate germs and soak through, which could make you catch another illness and compound your current sickness.
• Should I be afraid? If you are a normal and healthy person between the ages of 5 and 65- you should be fine. You might catch this at some point and it will be unpleasant, but it will pass and you will be back to your normal life. It is prudent to follow the guidelines laid out about social distancing to protect our friends with health issues.

If you have a compromised immune system (perhaps you have uncontrolled diabetes, are undergoing cancer treatment, you are elderly, or you have AIDS) then this is a big deal and should be treated as such. If you think you fall into the category of immune compromised, call your physician and talk to them about your risks and what you should do.