Although it appears that we are finally at a point where the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to ebb, it is understandable that many individuals may continue to be concerned about their safety when it comes to services and business where close contact with others is necessary. With that in mind, it important to note that practices such as Oral & Facial Surgeons of Arizona have implemented extraordinary precautions throughout the pandemic, on top of our already stringent disinfection and sterilization protocols, and will continue to follow recommendations from public health authorities in order to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19 among our patients and staff. Additionally, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has shed more light on the risk-benefit profiles of specific types of businesses and services, and the good news is that dental offices received incredibly high marks.
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the study by MIT researched 26 categories of business and examined metrics such as the necessity of the service and crowdedness within the environment. The main question was essentially: Which businesses were more likely to pose a lower risk of transmitting the virus and presented the most essential service in comparison to others? The study found that dental offices, colleges & universities, and banks took spots near the top, concluding that these services offered a risk-benefit ratio that suggests it is worth taking the risk based on the necessity of the service. More details on the MIT study can be found here.
As always, the safety and health of our patients is the number one priority here at Oral & Facial Surgeons of Arizona. From very early on in the pandemic, we instituted numerous additional COVID-19 safety measures and followed federal and state guidelines to maximize precautions in our office environment. We will continue to take the steps necessary to provide all of our patients with excellent care centered around safety precautions designed to keep all individuals at our practice as safe as possible.
If you have questions, please contact our office. We look forward to seeing you!