Precautions in place: Eureka Smiles is happily reopened after temporary shutdown
Eureka Smiles dentists, Mike Menolascino and Eric Klumb, are excited to see patients again after shutting down in March because of COVID-19 health concerns.
Klumb said the office reopened on May 11 and now is operating at about 95-98 percent of normal business.
“We’re pretty close to running full speed again,” he said. “When we started back nobody knew what was going on. So, we took every precaution that we could.”
Menolascino said he is happy to be open again.
“Those eight weeks were probably the most stressful weeks,” he said. “I mean, it’s great to be at home with the kids and family and everything, but being up in the air about what was going to happen and when we’re going to come back – very, very stressful and scary.”
Klumb said sonic air filters were placed in every room and waiting room. He said he and all the staff are wearing K95 or N95 masks, face shields and gowns.
Menolascino said the office has been following every guideline from the CDC and the American Dental Association. He said every staff member and patient has a health screening and temperature check before entering the office.
Klumb said he and Menolascino had a lot of training while in school for handling viruses and other health concerns.
“In school, they teach us to treat every patient like they do have hepatitis or AIDS or a disease that can’t be cured,” Klumb said. “We were pretty prepared for this before it even happened.”
Klumb said taking patients’ temperatures is a new safety guideline for the office.
Menolascino has been at the office for four years and Klumb has been with the office for more than nine years.
Eureka Smiles is at 18 Hilltop Village Center Drive, Eureka.
