Dental offices can reopen, some opt to wait a little longer

Dental offices can reopen, some opt to wait a little longer

Your next your next trip to the dentist may be a little different these days.

Indiana governor eric holcomb allowed dental offices to reopen yesterday.

We told you at first at five that some offices are waiting a little longer before opening their doors again.

Offices are making accommodations to protect patients and staff.

News 10's tilly marlatt brings us more on the measures in place at offices here in terre haute.

Pk} dental offices were given permission to reopen on monday for routine care appointments.

News 10 reached out to several dentist offices in our area.

Many offices are continuing to only offer emergency services at this time.

Smudde family dentistry is waiting until may 4th to reopen.

"we just decided we weren't ready to come back full-time this week.

We just need a little more preparation.

We just want to feel very confident that what we're doing is topnotch for our patients' safety and our staff's safety."

(dr. meredeth gray, smudde family dentistry) gray says her office is feeling the strain of a lack of personal protective equipment or p-p-e.

"our supplies are limited and our supplies are limited, but we've been able to find pretty much everything we need to get started."

(gray) luke staley family dentistry is also waiting until may 4th to offer full service.

I talked to a staff member at the office today.

She tells me that staff feel comfortable returning to work due to the safety measures in place.

"they've put our minds at ease because of the measures they've taken, and we have the right gear and things of that nature.

I mean going as far as purchasing extra air filtration systems for the office."

(britta ny pratt, receptionist, luke staley family dentistry) both offices are making accommodations to patient interactions.

Patients will have to participate in a pre-screening, which will include taking their temperature.

"we have definitely spaced our schedule out more.

We want to try to limit patients needing to be in the waiting room together.

Things of that nature.

So we're going to slowly go back into a normal schedule but kind of in the beginning it's going to be more of a soft opening."

(pratt) dental offices are encouraging patients to wear masks to appointments.

Reporting in terre haute, tilly marlatt, news 10.

In this evening's health alert.... nearly a health alert....