COVID-19 Update

June 2020

WELCOME BACK TO HUMBERTOWN ORTHODONTICS!!

We are excited and happy to be able to welcome you back to our office. After several weeks of managing patients via text, email and phone, we can finally step foot back into the office and see the faces we have missed dearly. We have new protocols in place to maintain social distancing and most importantly, to ensure the safety of our patients and staff.

Due to the extended COVID-19 closure, we will be seeing patients in strategic waves following a phased re-opening protocol based on type of appointment and following the recommendations of our college. Please be patient, our receptionists are working hard to clear the list of patients in need of an appointment and will be in touch with you to book your required appointment. Your treatment is not only a priority to you, but to us as well, and we will get you into the office as quickly as we can. 

WATCH OUR VIDEO:

THE SHORT VERSION

For a summary of our new protocols to keep everyone safe please watch our video here.

Please note the following changes:

1. When you arrive to the mall, do not come upstairs, please call or text us at 416-231-4313. At that time, we will go over a screening questionnaire over the phone and advise you when we are ready to see you.
2. We ask that all patients wear a mask, and ONLY the patient comes in while parents and siblings remain outside the office.
3. Upon arrival to the office the patient’s temperature will be taken, hand sanitizer, and antiseptic rinse used.
4. Once the appointment is completed, we will ask patients to use hand sanitizer before they leave and will call you to book your next appointment.

Prior to the appointment, please remember to:

1. Brush and floss as our tooth brushing station is now closed. If we are unable to complete the necessary procedure due to poor oral hygiene, the appointment will have to be rescheduled.
2. Wear a mask to your appointment
3. Arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow for screening and other pre-appointment procedures
4. Call or text from the plaza when you arrive at 416-231-4313

THE LONG VERSION

IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT

We have made some physical changes to our office and our protocols as per the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Ontario and our governing body the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. When your appointment is being booked, the receptionists will ask you a COVID pre-screen questionnaire, help run you through the new procedure and update your personal information. 

To help make the transition as smooth as possible, and keep your scheduled appointment on time, we ask that you arrive 10-15 minutes early for your appointment. When you arrive at the plaza, please do not come up to the office. We ask that you remain in your car or stay outside the mall and call or text us at 416-231-4313. The receptionists will once again ask you a COVID screening questionnaire and advise you that we will contact you when we are ready for you to come up to the office.

When the clinic is ready for your appointment, you will be contacted by reception asking you to come upstairs.  Once at the office entrance, you will be checked in, be asked to use hand sanitizer and your temperature will be taken and documented. The patient will also be provided with an antiseptic mouth rinse to use in the operatory prior to their appointment.

We ask that all patients wear a mask if they have one available, and ONLY the patient comes into the office for their appointment. If the patients require mobility assistance, are too young to be alone and/or have issues speaking and understanding English, a parent/guardian/family member can accompany them. Anyone entering the office will also be asked to wear a mask the entire time they are present in the office. No more than one person can accompany the patient to the appointment. We apologize for the inconvenience but we need to maintain physical distancing orders and limit the number of individuals entering and exiting the office. Patients will be wearing their mask the entire time they are in the office, except for when they are being treated. As always, please be reminded not to bring any food or drinks into the office. Furthermore, any bags or purses should be small enough that they can be placed on your lap during treatment (not the floor).

After the appointment is completed, patients will be asked to use hand sanitizer prior to leaving the office. The receptionists will be emailing each and every patient with their next appointment time. If this appointment time does not work for you, you may then call the office to have it rescheduled.

If you experience any COVID symptoms within 14 days following your appointment, please contact us immediately.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT AT HUMBERTOWN ORTHODONTICS

In addition to our existing rigorous protocols of infection control and prevention, the new measures will further mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus amongst our patients, their families, the community and ourselves. A set of practice guidelines have been published by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO) and the Ontario Ministry of Health. We will not only be adhering to their guidelines, but exceeding their recommendations.

Physical Distancing

In order to maintain proper physical distancing, we have changed the flow of our office to accommodate one door for entry and one for exiting. A mask or face covering is required while in the office, as there may be times when distancing of two metres apart may not be feasible. Chairs have been spaced out in the waiting area for those individuals who must accompany the patient to their appointment. ONLY patients will be allowed in the clinic area. 

Physical Space

Plexiglass shields have been installed at our reception desk as a physical barrier during any necessary administrative interactions. We ask that any conversations with receptionists be done over the phone or email when possible. In the clinic, we have ensured that all of our dental chairs meet physical distancing requirements and have added glass barriers in the clinic area. Several rooms have been enclosed to allow for procedures to be performed in a closed environment. Throughout the office, we have invested in a multi-unit industry-leading air purification system to increase our air circulation and exchange rates. The system also filters and purifies the air of fine particles as small as 0.001 microns, well beyond the size of typical bacteria and virus particles.

Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene will be stressed amongst patients entering and exiting the office, and of course the staff as always. To minimize touching of shared surfaces, we have discontinued the operation of our self-check-in screen and brushing station. The toy box and all magazines have also been removed from the reception areas.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

All required personal protective equipment has been stocked and is available for the clinical staff. Depending on the type of appointment, you may now see our clinical staff members wearing gowns, face shields and N95 masks. All clinical staff members have completed and passed an N95 mask fitting. The staff will be wearing the appropriate PPE for the procedure being completed.

Screening, Exposure and Illness

The COVID pre-screen questionnaire will be a series of simple questions relating to COVID-19 symptoms, contact history and travel history to ensure that risk of exposure is minimal for our patients and staff. If there is a heightened risk level, your appointment will be deferred to a later date. We understand this is inconvenient, but the safety of our staff and patients is our top priority. Our staff members undergo the same pre-screening upon arrival to work in the morning. Any positive symptoms will require staff to return home and seek medical advice and COVID-19 testing as required prior to returning to work.

We look forward to seeing you soon and proceeding forward toward our objective of creating beautiful smiles. We are here for any questions or concerns you may have so please feel free to reach out. Together, we will get through these uncertain times.

Please note, due to predicted extremely high call volumes, your call may not be answered immediately. Feel free to leave a voicemail or send us an email at reception@humbertownortho.com. Our receptionists will do their absolute best to get back to you as soon as possible, please be patient.

Sincerely,

Dr. Harold Rosenberg and The Humbertown Ortho Team