Covid 19 Information

Dear Patients,

We’ve missed your smile, and a lot of changes have happened since we closed our doors on March 21st. My staff and I are anxious to see you again, and are relieved that as of Monday, June 8th, we will be permitted to re-open to provide treatment that is considered urgent. There are strict restrictions in place regarding what is considered urgent Orthodontic care, and there are new infection control measures that will impact scheduling and patient flow within our clinics. Patients who can be scheduled for an appointment immediately include those with:

• Broken or loose brackets, bands, or appliances which are causing pain or are uncomfortable
• Long, loose or broken wires which are causing pain or are uncomfortable
• Appliances which are penetrating gums, cheeks, or the palate
• Orthodontic procedures necessary to prevent harm

I have been reaching out to as many patients as possible over the last 8 weeks and have a long list of names of who meet the above criteria. We have, or will be, contacting you soon to schedule an appointment. If I have not communicated with you since our office closure, and you feel that you meet the above criteria, please contact us immediately so we can determine if you should be scheduled for visit to resolve your problem.

It is very important that you take note: before we can see you, a short wellness questionnaire and consent to treatment form is required. Please click on the following link to complete this form the night before your appointment. Also, we advise that you arrive at your appointment 5 minutes early, as we may not be able to see you if you are late since we must carefully manage the number of patients in our clinics. We may be taking your temperature the day of your visit, as well as providing you with a mouth rinse prior to your procedure. Please refer to page 2 for more information on our curb-side check in process and other important information such as our new text to check-in number (782) 440-2331.

We want you to know that we are taking health and safety within our office very seriously. Surfaces in common areas are being wiped down more frequently, protective tempered glass has been placed at our reception desk, and we have taken steps to make sure that our reception areas can accommodate social distancing. All these new protocols are being implemented to elevate our infection control measures.

When we are permitted to do all Orthodontic procedures in the future, we will be scheduling appointments for
patients who:
• are in active orthodontic treatment
• waiting to have their braces removed
• waiting to their braces put on or Invisalign started
• would like a consultation visit
• require a retainer check or need new retainers
• are on a recall list to re-evaluate or start treatment

Thank you for your understanding as we move forward and navigate through the new “normal” which will change your experience in our office until a full recovery from this pandemic is reached. I can promise you that I have been committed to taking every precaution to keep you healthy and safe when you come to my office for your treatment. I look very forward to seeing you soon. I have missed you all, and I am very grateful to be returning to work.

Yours truly,

Grace Richardson

General Health and Safety Information 

Dr. Richardson and her staff would like our patients to know that we ensure your health & safety by  strictly following the standards for sterilization and disinfection of instruments and surfaces as set out by the Nova Scotia Dental Association.

The sterilizers utilized within both practices are monitored by the Dalhousie University Pathology Lab.  By participating in the biological sterilizer monitoring service at Dalhousie University, we are ensuring our patients that we are maintaining high standards in infection control.

Further, Dr. Richardson has invested in two different state of the art sterilizers for both offices.  Using  different technologies, each type of sterilizer  effectively and thoroughly kills all microbes on both metal and plastic instruments.  Dr. Richardson feels strongly that your health and peace of mind is worth the extra investment!

Other Points of Interest

• Our braces and wires are securely packaged, and are opened only when required at the appointment.
• Instruments are sterilized and packaged in kits before they are stored. We open the kits only after the patient is seated and is ready for their appointment.
• We provide our patients with safety glasses at each appointment.  The health and safety of our patients is of paramount importance to us.
• We exclusively use non-latex dental gloves and can offer our patients a latex free environment if requested.
• Our office also adheres to the guidelines set forth by WHMIS, and our staff has received continuing education on WHMIS.
• We are a PIPEDA Compliant office. Patient confidentiality is taken very seriously in our practice.
• We strive as a team to practice the highest standard of infection control.  We formally review our procedures and protocols annually, and have a dedicated infection control officer on our team who is responsible for auditing our health and safety practices daily.