Here at Hawke's Bay Periodontics, we understand that the current situation has been a testing time for everyone, but also that we need to ensure we are still able to care for you and your dental needs. Although our practices were always safe places, we have completely redesigned the way we operate so that we can welcome you and care for you with enhanced safety measures in place.

With restrictions continuing to ease across New Zealand, we want you to continue to feel safe and comfortable as we all learn to live with the virus. To that end, we will be maintaining the procedures and guidelines we are currently operating under, which echoes public health guidelines.

This means, when you visit our practice, we'll continue to uphold our measures, including:

• Mandatory face coverings inside the practice for everyone's safety.
• Social distancing in our patient lounges and public spaces.
• Enhanced PPE for our clinicians seeing you.
• Preferential card payments.

As we always have, we'll continue to stay close to any developments in requirements, but these measures are in place for everyone's safety.

If you have any of the symptoms of Covid-19/Coronavirus or have been advised to quarantine or self-isolate, please let us know as soon as you can; do not attend your appointment and follow the government guidelines around self-isolation.

To minimise risk, we recommend you attend your appointment alone unless you require assistance or are supporting a child or someone vulnerable. We are encouraging card payments where possible, but we will accept cash if necessary.

On entering the practice, you will be asked a handful of questions relating to COVID-19; We're required to ask all patients these questions when they arrive. You will be asked to sanitise your hands and place a face covering on if you are not already wearing one. If you do not have one, we will provide one for you and show you how to place this on correctly. Our practice colleagues will be behind protective plastic screens, but this is for the safety of everyone.

We hope that the above ensures that you can rest assured when visiting that every step has been taken to ensure the safety of you, our colleagues and clinicians. This is our top priority as we return to providing you with the same standard of dental care that you have been used to. If you have any questions at all regarding our new practice experience, please do not hesitate to contact us on 06-833-7405.