Drs. O’Leary and Hack are continuously monitoring the COVID-19 guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control, the Connecticut State Department of Public Health, and the American Association of Orthodontists. As you know, the Governor has just issued an Executive Order closing all non-essential businesses in the state of CT. While dental offices are considered “essential”, dentists and orthodontists are being urged to defer all elective dental procedures, including orthodontic treatment, through at least April 22. Thus, we are extending the office closure and canceling all appointments through April 22. We will continue to see emergency/comfort appointments during this time. We hope to be able to reopen soon after April 22 to see patients under active treatment, as appropriate, but of course we cannot yet say specifically when we will be able to re-open. Once our path forward is clearer, we will begin to reschedule patients. We will likely extend our hours and add in additional days as appropriate and necessary when can get back to work. It is highly likely that we will need to change the way that we work for weeks or months once we re-open.
We have a small number of Team members available to answer phones and to assist us with orthodontic emergencies. Any patients experiencing severe pain, recent trauma that involves the orthodontic appliances, poking wires or other appliances that are causing ulceration or pain, would all be considered “emergencies” that may warrant a visit to the office. Please call us if you would like advice on how to manage other types of orthodontic problems.
Many of our patients in active treatment are no doubt concerned about how the office closure will affect the progress of their treatment. Thanks to advanced technology and efficiencies that we incorporate into all of our treatment plans, we can safely extend our typical treatment appointment intervals to 8-10 weeks. The archwires and other systems are designed to work predictably and safely over extended treatment intervals. So, the progress for most of our patients should not be significantly disrupted. PLEASE keep up your diligence with oral hygiene and our other treatment instructions!
If any patients or parents have specific concerns about your treatment progress, please do not hesitate to call us at 860 443-1827, OR send us an email at [email protected]. Dr. O’Leary or Dr. Hack will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss your unique situation. Feel free to send us cell phone photos, using spoons or some other creative method to retract the lips and cheeks as needed!
We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to disrupt our daily lives for some time. We will do our best to minimize any inconveniences during this difficult time. We sincerely appreciate your understanding as we try to do the right thing for the health of our patients, our staff, and the broader community. Please do YOUR PART to slow the spread of the virus—this means all of us!