Coronavirus impact on dental practices: Tips for effectively prescreening your patients (Video)

June 8, 2020
Prescreening is now an important part of dental practice procedures. Amber Auger, RDH, stresses that it's imperative to talk to every patient. Here's what her office is doing.

The practice where Amber Auger, RDH, works knows the importance of screening every patient, whether or not the person has had any symptoms of coronavirus. Her office has a patient questionnaire, which combines questions from the CDC, ADA, and ADHA, that is sent out to each patient before a person’s appointment.

The practice has also implemented a cone system for when patients arrive at the office. Depending on what a patient is coming in for, the person will drive up to the proper color-coded cone to be prescreened from their car. How will the office be taking patients’ temperatures and at what temperature do they reappoint someone?

Listen to more of Amber’s practice’s ideas as she shares them in this discussion with Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, DMD.

Editor’s note: This video was recorded May 22, 2020.

Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, DMD, is the chief editor of DentistryIQ. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, Dr. Maragliano-Muniz began her clinical career as a dental hygienist. She went on to attend Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she earned her doctorate in dental medicine. She then attended the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dental Medicine, where she became board-certified in prosthodontics. Dr. Maragliano-Muniz owns a private practice, Salem Dental Arts, and lectures on a variety of clinical topics.

Editor's note: To view DentistryIQ's full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, including original news articles, video interviews with dental thought leaders, and tips for returning to the office, visit the DentistryIQ COVID-19 Resource Center.