COVID-19 Coronavirus

After being temporarily closed for a long 8 weeks, we are ready to make you smile again! We had to postpone hundreds of appointments, so we have a long road ahead to catch up. Rest assured, we will get there!

As we move forward with some new guidelines, we ask for patience and understanding. The new guidelines are for everyone's benefit in order to have a safe environment for care as well as to provide an efficient way to get everyone back on track.

Here is what you need to know:

APPOINTMENTS AND SCHEDULING:
- PLEASE WAIT FOR OUR OFFICE TO CONTACT YOU FOR AN APPOINTMENT. We have a long list of people to contact, and this will make for more efficient scheduling by our team.
- COMFORT/URGENT APPOINTMENTS: These appointments will still only be seen on an as-needed basis for significant pain or bleeding. For now, broken brackets are not considered urgent comfort appointments. Need advice - click here!
- RETAINER CHECKS: All retainer check appointments will be postponed until the fall with exception of certain cases that Dr. Zach sees necessary; if you have retainer concerns, please call us and we can still schedule an appointment
- GROWTH CHECKS: Growth check appointments will be seen on a case-by-case basis; in many cases, they will be postponed until the fall; if you have concerns and would like to be seen sooner, please call us and we can still schedule an appointment

BEFORE YOUR VISIT:
- PLEASE BRUSH YOUR TEETH THOROUGHLY RIGHT BEFORE YOUR APPPOINTMENT and do not come in with excessive food or debris on your teeth/braces. Our tooth brushing station is closed and is now a designated station for our patients to wash their hands.
- EVERYONE WHO ENTERS OUR BUILDING MUST HAVE A MASK (both patient and parents). Please come prepared.

YOUR VISIT:
- FOR ALL MINORS (18 and younger), a parent must be at the appointment to sign a questionnaire regarding COVID symptoms and exposure. If you cannot come, you must contact our office prior to the appointment for the form and send a SIGNED COPY with your child. Unfortunately, we cannot make any exceptions to this rule.
- PLEASE ARRIVE ON-TIME. We have staggered arrival times to limit the number of people in our building at any given time. Arriving too early will likely lead to waiting, and late arrivals may need to be rescheduled.
- When you arrive, REMAIN IN YOUR CAR AND CALL our office to let us know you have arrived. We will let you know when to come in.
- For any minor patient, ONE parent/guardian should come in to sign a questionnaire form regarding COVID symptoms and exposure. Absolutely no other individuals will be allowed. We encourage that parents return to their car after signing our questionnaire.
- DO NOT COME IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL. Any question indicating recent exposure to COVID-19 or anyone with signs/symptoms will be asked to leave immediately and will not be able to return for at least the specified 14-day self-quarantine requirement.
- THE PATIENT’S TEMPERATURE WILL BE TAKEN using a touchless thermometer. If the temperature is > 100 degrees F, you will be asked to leave immediately and will not be able to return for at least the specified 14-day self-quarantine requirement.
- PLEASE MAINTAIN 6-FOOT SOCIAL DISTANCING guidelines while in the office and seated in the waiting room. Reception furniture has been limited to accommodate this guideline.
- Patients will be asked to wash or sanitize their hands before and after their appointment.
- Patients will be asked to rinse with Colgate Peroxyl mouth rinse at their chair where an assistant will suction.
- We ask for understanding as we try to address all of your needs at your visit. Individuals with multiple broken brackets or issues may not have everything completed during the visit due to strict scheduling times. If you anticipate you or child needs more time for these issues, let us know beforehand.

AFTER THE VISIT:
- DO NOT DRIVE HOME RIGHT AWAY - WE NEED TO SCHEDULE YOUR NEXT VISIT! For child patients, one of our team members will call you to update you on progress and schedule the next appointment. We will not be scheduling at our front desk at this time.
- ADULT PATIENTS – you will be scheduled while seated in the chair.

OUR NEW PROTOCOLS:
- HOURS: Our office hours are now Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm until further notice. We have extended our clinic hours to space out appointments, catch up on overdue treatment, and allow for extensive cleaning of our office twice per day. We will notify you once normal hours of operation resume in the future.
- BARRIERS: You will notice clear barriers at our front desk as well as in our consult room. Additionally, we have placed barriers between our chairs in the clinic (which are 7 feet apart). We will continue to operate our medical grade HEPA filter in our treatment area (this has been present prior to the pandemic).
- CLEANING: Office cleaning will take place in the morning, midday, and evening.
- RECEPTION ROOM: Furniture has been limited and no magazines or books are available. We encourage non-patients (parents/guardians) to wait in the car or outside.

TEAMWORK:
- OUR TEAM IS SCREENED ON A DAILY BASIS with a questionnaire, and temperature is taken daily. Any team member with COVID symptoms or a fever >100 degree F will be required to go home.
- OUR TEAM HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY TRAINED on the new protocols. Please be patient as things may take more time at first as we are adapting to our new protocols.

Our priority has always been delivering the absolute best orthodontic in a safe and timely manner - that still remains our top priority. We are still committed to this community for the long haul, so while some things will be different about our office in the short-term, our mission has not changed!

Questions or concerns should be addressed by calling or emailing our office - we are here for you. We understand this may be the first time many of you are leaving your home in 8 weeks, so please do not hesitate to let us know how we can make you feel safe and secure. See you soon!

• Dr. Zach

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), dental and orthodontic offices around the nation are closing due to recommendations by the American Dental Association. While offices remain open for emergency care, many people have questions about how to manage their ongoing orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign. Here are a few guidelines to help you out : )

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Wash your hands very often!
  • Orthodontic treatment involves putting your hands in your mouth. Whether you are placing rubber bands, wax, retainers, or an Invisalign clear aligner, you need to put your hands in your mouth. You should be washing your hands for at least 20 seconds BEFORE AND AFTER putting your hands in your mouth. Additionally, you should be washing your hands, in general, more often.
• If you can't wash your hands, use hand sanitizer
  • If soap and water are not available, be sure you use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content. Rub all surfaces of your hands well.
• Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
  • Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay at home and follow the CDC guidelines for social distancing
  • The illness is spread by close contact with other people or via droplets in the air. Please do not use this time away from work or school to spend time with friends and family. Many people who have the virus do not know it!
• If you are getting sick, contact your medical health care provider for help.
  • If you are sick, first and foremost, stay away from others so you do not spread the illness to them. Contact your medical professional for advice on what to do next. They are your best resource of information on where to go to get help.

For any significant pain or concern, please call or email Dr. Zach as we are still available to help you out. Here are some common questions we are getting about braces, Invisalign, and retainers:

BRACES - COMMON QUESTIONS

• Should I wear my rubber bands?
  • Yes! For now continue to wear rubber bands as instructed to continue your progress.
• What if I run out of rubber bands?
  • Call or email our office - we can arrange a pick up!
• What should I do if I have a broken brace?
  • If you are not in pain, you can attempt to remove the brace or place wax on it to stabilize the brace. If it is causing a significant discomfort that makes it difficult to eat or sleep, please call us and we can arrange an emergency visit to get you comfortable. Unfortunately at this time, we cannot fix broken braces but we can get you comfortable again.
• What should I do if I am in pain?
  • Call or email our office - we will set up an emergency appointment to adjust the braces to get you comfortable again.
• Will the COVID-19 shut down delay my treatment?
  • It depends on how long we are closed, but in the meantime, make sure you do the following:
    • Continue to brush your teeth 3 times per day
    • Avoid hard and sticky foods to ensure nothing is broken
    • Wear your rubber bands as instructed
• What if I have a question or something does not seem right?
  • Call or email us - Dr. Zach is available for questions : )
• Other tips:
  • Dispose of your used rubber bands and wax properly - do not put them on counters or clean surfaces
  • Since you are home, brush your teeth and floss them more often. Be sure to wash your hands before and after
  • Avoid sugary drinks to protect your teeth from white spots

INVISALIGN - COMMON QUESTIONS

• Should I continue to wear my aligners?
  • Yes! For now, continue to wear aligners as instructed to continue your progress.
• If I have rubber bands, should I wear those too?
  • Yes! For now continue to wear rubber bands as instructed to continue your progress.
• What if I run out of aligners?
  • Please give us a call and we can arrange a pick up if we have more in the office. In the event it was the last of the box, we will have to wait for another 3D scan to order more. If you are on your last aligner for awhile, please be sure to clean it more often.
• Can I clean them with soap and water?
  • Yes! You can use hand soap to clean your aligners with cold water.
• What if something does not seem right?
  • Give us a call or send an email - Dr. Zach is available for questions : )
• Other tips:
  • Clean and brush your aligners more often during this time
  • Clean your Invisalign retainer case often
  • Be sure to carry your hand sanitizer with you
  • Do not set your Invisalign down on any unclean surfaces

PALATAL EXPANDERS

• Should I keep turning the expander?
  • No, at this time, if you have not been instructed to continue your turns, you should stop and wait until your next appointment with Dr. Zach.
• Is it OK to leave it in place?
  • Yes. The expander is usually in for 9-10 months.
• What if my child was due to have it removed during the closure?
  • Please be patient and sit tight. A few extra weeks will not cause any harm.
• What if it is causing pain or discomfort?
  • Please call our office and we will be happy to help you out : )

RETAINERS - COMMON QUESTIONS

• Should I continue to wear my retainer?
  • Yes! Please continue as instructed by Dr. Zach
• Can I clean my retainer with soap and water?
  • Yes! You can use hand soap and cold water to clean your retainer. It is a good idea at this time to keep it as clean as possible. You should clean both before and after using it.
• What if I lost my retainer?
  • If you lost your retainer and you have your 3D printed model of your teeth, please give us a call and we may be able to make you a new one. We would have to arrange a drop-off/pick-up.
• Other tips:
  • Clean and brush your retainers more often during this time
  • Clean your retainer case often
  • Do not set your retainers down on any unclean surfaces

If there is any other question you have, let us know! We are here to help you and we can't wait to see your smile again : )