When you’re in the chair for your procedure, you’ll notice that your dentist and staff will most likely be wearing more personal protective equipment (PPE) than they used to. This means that they could be wearing face shields, N95 masks, hair nets, and medical aprons that they change between each patient.

These additional precautions are to keep you safe. However, PPE can be expensive. In some places, boxes of 50 masks are 10 times more expensive and medical gowns are almost 15 times more expensive. This means that fully outfitting each member of a team is much more costly than it was before COVID 19.

Patients with these insurances below will be excluded from this fee. Converge for this fee will be paid by your insurance carrier.

• Delta Dental (IN NETWORK ONLY)
• Metlife PPO (IN NETWORK ONLY)

You May Check With your Insurance Carrier To Inquire About This Fee, Using Code D1999 (PPE)

At Smile Studio Dentistry of Baltimore, here’s what we’re doing to keep you safe.

We always follow mandates and recommendations from our governing bodies (CDC, OSHA, and our State dental association), and after the closures earlier this year that limited us to emergency care only, we are very happy that our doors are open to non-urgent (but important!) care.

As we reclaim as much of our “normal every-day life” as possible, we know that Covid-19 is still at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts and we understand the stresses this may bring. Part of every-day life includes excellent oral hygiene – at home and at our practice. With pandemic, many of our patients’ recare schedules have fallen behind and it’s now time to catch up.

If you’re one of our patients who has had recare cancelled as a precautionary measure during the pandemic, hopefully we’ve reached you to reschedule. But if not, please call us now. We’ll fit you in at time that’s most convenient to you so that you can keep your treatment plan and your oral health on track!

Vital Information:

Your dental visits are an important part of staying healthy. A dental practice like ours, with all our safety measures in place, is one of the safest places you can be. We want you to know what we’re doing to keep you safe…

Along with our already-stringent equipment and treatment room sterilization protocols, we are committed to:

• pre-screening patients for symptoms of illness via telephone & once again upon arrival (see below for the questions we’ll be asking you)
• rescheduling appointments if there is any risk to our patients, our team, or our community
• providing sanitary hand gel throughout our practice and plenty of soap and single-use towels
• Routinely sterilizing all non-treatment areas including restrooms, waiting areas, and consultation rooms – just like we’ve always done – plus door handles will be sanitized after each use.

In addition, we are…

• wearing full PPE, but don’t worry ... you’ll still see our smiles in our eyes! Due to the increased expense, a small portion of the cost of these additional precautions ($10) will be applied to your account for each visit.
  • PPE may include medical masks, N95 masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, aprons, and caps. Masks can be 10 times more expensive and medical gowns are almost 15 times more expensive than pre covid.
  • Patients who with Delta Dental and Metlife PPO (in-network only) will be excluded from this fee
  • Please check with your insurance provider to inquire whether you are covered (refer to code D1999 for PPE).
• not wearing street clothes in the practice
• not handling mobile phones in the practice
• social distancing by limiting the number of people in the practice at one time
• encouraging all new patients to complete and submit their confidential intake form online before visiting.

Our Focus Is On Your Safety

As SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) moves through our community, it brings so many life changes, questions, and new practices at home, at work, at school, and at the dental office.

We understand that the transition back from isolating and social distancing may be awkward and even scary at first. That’s why, in addition to safety, we’re focusing on two more areas to assist you in feeling more confident, comfortable, and safe at your next appointment.

• Communication – If you have any questions whatsoever about attending our practice, please ask! One of our team members will be happy talk with you, clearly and honestly.
• Treatment Plan Fulfilment – To ensure your most beautiful & healthy smile, it’s important that we continue to be proactive with your dental care, taking a preventive approach. We’ll be in touch to confirm your next appointment and look forward to seeing you! If you’ve missed your recall appointment while our practice was accepting emergencies only, please call now to reschedule.

We’re here to help you feel confident in receiving the dental care you want and need. Thank you for your trust and loyalty. It means so much to us!

What Is Patient Screening?

While the threat of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains in our community, we will be screening patients before appointments by asking recent-health questions. Screening will happen twice: over the phone when we confirm your date and time, and when you arrive at the practice. To remove any mystery or anxiety around screening, here’s what we’ll be asking...

• Have you felt hot or feverish in the last 14-21 days? Do you have a fever now?
• Do you have shortness of breath or other breathing difficulties?
• Do you have a cough, typical cold symptoms, hoarse voice, fatigue, or headache?
• Any flu-like symptoms like stomach/intestinal upset?
• Have you experienced recent loss of taste or smell?
• And when you arrive at our practice, we’ll ask if we may take your temperature.

To keep everyone safe, if you answer yes to these questions, we’ll reschedule your appointment for when you are symptom-free.

As your dentist, thank you for your understanding and for you trust and loyalty in our team.

If you’re a current patient, or a new to us, please call us at (410) 469-7407 with your dental-related questions. It will be great to hear from you and see your smile soon!

Stay safe!