It’s been over a month since we were able to begin reopening our orthodontic clinics in some provinces and resume seeing our patients! We started slowly: initially, we saw the patients who had urgent care needs; then, we cautiously began to reschedule everyone who had missed an appointment during the closure period. (We’re still working on this; thanks, everyone, for bearing with us!) This transitional ramp-up period has allowed us to space out our daily schedules to establish important screening and physical distancing protocols and accommodate all of our other new health-and-safety measures as part of our docbraces smileSAFE program.
So, how’s it going inside the clinic? Really, really well! We know that people were feeling a little anxious about the idea of reopening — being confined to the comfort of your own home for three months will do that! Even our team members had a few butterflies on their first day back because they had been home for so long...but, as soon as they were settled in and had witnessed all the added safety protocols in action, they were SO excited to open the door to patients. And the patient response has been fantastic!
Some of our team members recently shared their thoughts about their first day back:
From Ryan at docbraces Red Deer:
“You could see the result of everyone's hard work in how organized the clinic looked ('sterile' is fashionable now!); how quickly the team was able to jump into action; and how appreciative our patients and their parents were of the safety practices and preparation. We heard many compliments and 'thank-yous' from patients and everyone was pleased to be treated in such a safe and controlled environment.”
From Kelly at docbraces MCO Markham:
“It was truly a team effort to make sure that the first day ran smoothly! Patients felt comfortable thanks to the signage and physical distancing markers, which made for an easy flow around the office and clinic spaces. We were well equipped in our PPE (and we shared a few laughs about our ‘new look’), and patients were well screened as they came in, which helps to make sure the environment is safe. Everyone had a big smile on their face all day!”
From Chelsea at docbraces Moncton:
“Arriving back at the clinic, it felt like the first day of school! The team was pleased with how smoothly everything went, and patients were excited to be back. Even though things looked a little different, they felt at ease with our ‘new normal’ and embraced all of the changes.”
We’re so excited to be back and even more thrilled that our patients are understanding and appreciative of the new smileSAFE measures. For many of our patient families, our clinics are the first place they’ve been aside from the grocery store since restrictions began to lift, so it’s of the utmost importance to us that they know we’re taking their health seriously. Things may feel a little different, and each appointment may take a few minutes longer, but we can’t be too careful when it comes to preventing the spread of illness for the protection of our communities.
We are truly all in this together!
Dr. John McManaman
Founder & Chief Orthodontic Officer
docbraces
Take a docbraces smileSAFE video tour through one of our clinics with our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Bob Hatheway!
