What steps have you taken in advance of your reopening?


The short answer is not too much. I have placed some orders for face shields and made enquiries about purchasing appropriate face masks. I would prefer to order genuine n95 3m masks but I have been informed by my Schein representative that they are currently not available. He also informed me that many of the kn95 masks available are counterfeits and an article in the NY Times recently indicated that the FDA was removing its authorization for many kn95 masks until evidence of their efficacy could be determined.  I am attending a webinar this Thursday given by 3m about PPE and will most likely know more on this topic afterwards.

After further discussion with my Schein rep, we decided that bigger ticket items such as a specialized dental extra oral suction devices, should wait for now. Most of these will be back ordered and not available immediately and since each unit runs between 1500-2500, buying several of these can be pricey. I will wait until more information on their usability and efficacy is available. I personally would like to invest in a unit that I will want to use for the for seeable future and not just during the next 6 months or so.

After some research on Consumer reports I did buy five Blueair  air purifiers ( 4 small 411 models for my treatment rooms and one larger 211 for my waiting area.) and am currently trying them our in my one bedroom apartment. They are fairly quiet, work well and are are affordable.  They utilize proprietary hepa-like filters that are effective to .3 microns and relatively quiet.

I have applied for and been approved for SBA loans, both the PPP loan and a EIDL loan. I have mixed emotion about these. I have accepted the PPP loan designed to help with payroll costs, but do not feel inclined to utilize any of these funds until I am ready to recall my staff. It is not clear when NYC will authorize dental offices for full reopening.  I currently am categorized as a high risk person ( 67 years old and taking an immunosuppressive medicine for Crohn's disease) Currently it is suggested that we see patients for true emergencies and so far I have elected to send the few of my patients who have needed treatment to appropriate colleagues who have appropriate PPE and have chosen to see emergencies a day or two, each week.

I also fortunate to be offered an SBA disaster loan (3.75%) that has a thirty year pay out. After some soul searching I have decided to accept it. No payment will be required for 12 months  and after,  small monthly payments are required, for the next thirty years or until the borrower chooses to repay it in full. This loan is needed since even in these trying time, commercial landlords do expect their rent to be paid.

Obviously I don't plan on practicing for the next thirty years and when I transfer my practice, this loan will have to be paid off in a balloon payment.  My accountant advised me that it increases the likelihood of incurring additional accounting fees due to the SBA's reporting requirements

I believe that the remainder of 2020 even after my reopening will be challenging financially and most likely my practice will not generate any profit after all its bills are taken care of. Since I am not ready to retire and would like to keep my practice going I, like all of my fellow dentists , will have to plan  how we will reopen and do so in a safe , as well as a financially prudent manner, so my practice will continue to be viable for both the short and long term future.

Most likely, I will bring my staff back one or two weeks prior to our reopening. I have discussed this with my staff and none are in a hurry to return and all seem to prefer to stay safely at home for the moment. All have been able to collect unemployment benefits and some are actually making more than they will when I bring them back. We have ordered some additional PPE, but as additional time goes on we will probably have additional options to choose from.

Once they come back we will reorganize the waiting room to conform with  social distancing recommendations, install a sneeze guard at the reception desk and throw out all the magazines that sit on our waiting room tables. Most likely we will alter our available appointments to allow more time between appointments. This should allow may allow our air purifiers and applied disinfectants time to work between seatings of patients.

Of course these are tentative plans and may change as additional information becomes available. Until we do reopen, I and many of my collogues ,will be attending  webinars and zoom sessions designed to help us be ready for our dental offices reopening.



from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2020/05/what-steps-have-you-taken-in-advance-of.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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