To our dear patients and community members
Dear Parents,
I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to getting back to some sense of normalcy or what may become the “new normal” at least for the time-being. During the last 9 weeks, our office has been seeing patients for emergency dental visits only per the recommendations of the American Dental Association (ADA), the Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). During that time, we saw some familiar faces, but we also saw many new patients who were in need of emergency dental care. We hope to see many of you again soon for a regular routine visit!
On Friday, May 8th, IDPH issued a statement to dental providers recommending that “oral health providers resume provision of routine oral and dental care consistent with this guidance for minimizing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in an oral healthcare setting.” Per IDPH dental providers could reopen offices starting May 11, 2020, with appropriate precautions and screening measures in place. Our office is taking the remainder of this week to deep clean, prepare our office space for new protocols, and conduct training with all of our team members. Beginning Tuesday, May 19, 2020, we will resume seeing patients for routine dental care.
While many things have changed one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your family’s safety. Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and we have always taken pride in not only meeting but exceeding the requirements from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We want to continue to lead the charge in infection control and believe this takes more than extra wiping of door handles, use of hospital grade disinfectants, frequent hand-washing, and sanitizing rooms and equipment. Those are measures that we have always taken regularly since our inception and we will continue to do so moving forward.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our office has made some changes in order to ensure that your child continues to experience the safe and exceptional care that you are accustomed to. Here are a few things that we are doing to keep our families safe:
- We are utilizing a virtual check-in process. You will contact us via phone/text to let us know you have arrived for your child’s appointment. We will contact you once your child’s room is ready.
- Only one parent/guardian may accompany the child into the office. All other family members including siblings without an appointment will need to remain at home or wait in the car. Unless medically unable, masks are required in our office for everyone over the age of 3.
- Pre-screening questionnaires will be completed before visits. Patients and parents/guardians are again screened and asked to use hand sanitizer upon entry.
- Temperature checks are performed on everyone entering the office with a contactless thermometer.
- Contactless payment options and consent forms are available via text message.
- We have eliminated all unnecessary objects from our reception area. Unfortunately, this does include all toys, video games, and magazines.
- We are scheduling fewer patients at a time to allow for proper social distancing.
- All of our team members are screened for temperatures upon arrival, at lunchtime, and before leaving at the end of the day and are wearing masks.
- All clinical team members are wearing disposable gowns, scrub caps, N95 masks, face shields, and gloves during all dental procedures.
These are only some of the changes we have made to ensure everyone’s safety during this time. We are looking forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we are taking to keep every family safe in our practice.
We will continue to update our office protocols with the changing guidelines put forth by the ADA, ISDS, CDC, OSHA, and IDPH as this virus pandemic becomes less of a threat.
Thank you for being our patient! We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors, and friends. As always, we will welcome any new patients that you refer to us and will provide them with the same exceptional pediatric dental care your family has come to expect from us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Udelson
Your Children's Dental Home
Having a dental home ensures your children receive comprehensive, long-term, and always-there dental care
in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s clinical guidelines.
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Pediatric Dental Care
We are dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy through their teen years.
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Your Child’s First Visit
A child’s first dental visit should occur within six months after their first tooth appears but no later than their first birthday.
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Kids and Teens
Teens see pediatric dentists because their jaws and faces are still growing and changing and because the last of their permanent teeth are still coming in.
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Dental Sealants
Tooth decay often begins on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth because these surfaces have deep pits and grooves that trap plaque, bacteria and food. To help prevent cavities, dental sealants are recommended.
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You take your child to a pediatrician… why not a pediatric dentist?
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Parents Welcome!
Parents are always welcome to accompany their child during the dental visit. Prior to your child’s appointment, our team will present the option to you of whether to accompany your child in the appointment, or stay behind in our reception area. We empower our parents to make that choice!
Our staff is trained and highly knowledgeable about providing care for children with special needs or disabilities in a comfortable and safe environment.
Tour Our Office and Meet the Team
Our friendly team provides dental care to kids in an anxiety-free environment.
By maintaining your child’s good dental health, you ensure the same quality of life for your child and family as you do for yourself.
Our team is highly focused on making dental visits
a positive, fun, and safe experience for your kids.
Dr. Jerry Udelson gives back – please click HERE to read more!
(Post by Chicago Dental Review, and the photos are provided by Randy Belice)
Jerry Udelson, DDS, PC
Dr. Jerry Udelson has been a Pediatric Dentist for more than twenty five years. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in 1987. He then completed two additional years of specialized training in pediatric dentistry at Indiana University School of Dentistry. Following that, Dr. Jerry was awarded a one-year fellow- ship at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, which was sponsored by the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation.
Dr. Jerry’s passion for pediatric dentistry began at a young age. His older brother, Mark, had Cerebral Palsy and Dr. Jerry was able to understand the real need for quality dentistry in children with special needs and disabilities.
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