FAQ about COVID-19 Office Closure
To our HD Orthodontics family:
Due to these unprecedented and rapidly changing times, we know you will have questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it may affect your orthodontic care. Dr. Desh has put together this FAQ to help put you at ease in this part of your life. We are here to support you and will continue to explore new ways to provide you with the best orthodontic care during this time.
How long will our office be closed?
Our office is currently scheduled to reopen on March 30th, however given the recent “Stay at Home” order put in place by Governor Newsom, it is likely our timeline will be extended. We are frequently assessing the situation and will be very transparent with the next steps, if that open date changes. In the meantime, Dr. Desh and our Dream Team will be available to assist patients by phone and email from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Dr. Desh checks the email regularly, so please use our office email account info@hdorthodontics.com for all email inquiries.
Why does the orthodontic office need to close?
Due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unanimous recommendations of both the California Dental Association, American Dental Association and government officials, we must close our doors to all elective procedures for the safety of our community. Elective procedures are defined as any procedure that does not involve treating a medical/dental emergency.
How should I proceed if I am wearing braces or an appliance?
The beauty of orthodontic treatment is that your braces and wires will continue to straighten your teeth all day and night, because your wires will remain active. If wearing any elastics, please continue doing so as instructed. Proper elastic wear will continue to correct your bite. You can help keep your treatment on track by following your hygiene and dietary instructions. Please make sure you keep good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing three times a day. Also, remember to avoid eating any hard/sticky/chewy/crunchy foods to avoid any breakage. We will continue to advance your treatment once we reopen.
If you were scheduled for an adjustment appointment and this appointment was cancelled due to our COVID-19 office closure, Dr. Desh is offering Virtual Visits (click here to see instructions) for all of our patients. Please send progress photos to Dr. Desh so she can review your teeth and make sure they are on track. She will be checking emails regularly and will get back to you within a few business days to instruct you as to how to proceed and set up a video chat as needed. Our email address is info@hdorthodontics.com.
How should I proceed if I am wearing Invisalign aligners?
Please make sure to keep wearing your active aligners as instructed to continue progressing your treatment. Make sure to use your chewies to bite and seat the aligners in areas where you see space between the teeth and aligners. For best use, bite into your chewie for 10 seconds and work it around your teeth, lightly biting and holding. When you are wearing your last aligner given to you, Dr. Desh would love to set up a Virtual Visit (click here to see instructions) with you. Please email us with progress photos so Dr. Desh can review them, give you feedback and set up a video chat as needed. Our email address is info@hdorthodontics.com.
If you no longer have aligners to continue until your next visit, please call or email us to let us know. We can mail some to you or have them ready for a curbside pickup at the office on a scheduled date/time. In the meantime, it is perfectly fine to reduce your last aligner wear to 10-12 hours per day to ensure that your teeth stay in position, but enable your aligner to last longer. Keep your aligners clean and avoid all drinks other than water while wearing them.
If you are at the end of your aligner series and are due for either a refinement scan or de-bond, please continue wearing your current aligners to prevent any relapse. As stated above, reducing your aligner wear to 10-12 hours per day is okay in order to reduce wear. Alternatively, we are able to order a replacement set of your last aligners and ship them directly to you if your existing aligners are worn out already. Please call or email us if you would like to proceed with this option at no cost to you.
Always remember to wash your hands before placing and removing your aligners or elastics.
I have already been scanned for Invisalign and am waiting to pick up my aligners (or refinement aligners). Do I have to wait until the office reopens to start/continue my treatment?
No! We can actually mail you your first 3 sets of aligners or arrange for curbside pickup of these aligners. Dr. Desh will subsequently set up a video chat time to walk you through instructions on your Invisalign and check to make sure the aligners fit well. Once the office reopens, we can place your attachments, deliver any elastics and perform any interproximal reduction (IPR) as needed for your individual case.
What should I do if I am scheduled to start treatment soon?
We are excited for all of our patients to take this next big step and look forward to seeing your smiling faces in the office! We are hopeful that this schedule alteration will be short, and once the COVID-19 situation has stabilized, we will be ready for you!
What about getting my braces off?
Although dental care is very safe for patients and providers with standard universal precautions and hospital level sterilization protocols, cleaning teeth and the removal of orthodontic bonding materials produces aerosols that can contain biological material. Once airborne, these particles can easily transmit COVID-19 within the office and potentially infect countless people. A deferral of removing braces is a good practice at a time like this. Always brush and floss thoroughly to maintain your dental health as we await the passing of this situation. We will resume removal of braces when we are advised that it is safe to do so.
I have a routine monitoring appointment upcoming (retainer check, observation exam), what do I do?
These appointments are very important, but by their nature become elective at a time like this. We will maintain all appointment records within our computer system and will reschedule them appropriately when the community situation returns to normal.
We are told to wash our hands frequently. How should we handle wearing aligners, retainers, elastics, etc?
It is important to continue wearing your aligners and rubber bands to maintain your treatment progress, or your treatment result if currently wearing retainers. Follow recommendations by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after removing or placing your aligners, retainers or elastics. These items can also be washed or cleaned in a dilute soap and water solution. An old toothbrush is ideal for this purpose. After cleaning the appliance, rinse thoroughly in cold water to minimize the soapy taste, just like when doing the dishes.
I lost or broke my retainer or aligner. What should I do?
It is always important to wear your retainers after your treatment is complete. Call the office and leave us a voicemail or write us an email, someone will contact you to see how we can proceed. If you broke or lost your Invisalign aligner, please call us so we can order a replacement from Invisalign as soon as possible and have it shipped directly to your house.
Will patients be allowed in the office at all? Is anyone there?
No one is at the office at this time. Dr. Desh will be on call for any true orthodontic emergency, so please call her direct line (with any emergency issue and she can handle each one accordingly).
I have a poking wire or other irritation that is bothering me. What do I do?
Call us! We will instruct you on the best resolution to the problem. We will try to help you with an easy fix at home. In the event of a true emergency situation involving severe pain or discomfort, this could involve a quick VIP trip to the office for a fix in a private setting where you would be the only patient in the office. Our comfort care information is also on the website under the “Dental Health” page on our website.
To stay updated on how our office is responding to COVID-19 and to maintain a centralized place for resources such as this, we will be updating our website at www.hdorthodontics.com. Social media will be the fastest place to learn new information from us. Follow us on Instagram @hdorthodontics and at facebook.com/hdorthodontics for updates.
Thank you for your understanding, and we are truly grateful that you have chosen to support our small business. We will all get through this together! We wish you all good health and can’t wait to see you again in person soon!
Direct line number for patients: 562-285-7526 Click here to see our Virtual Visit Instructions
Dr. Desh & the HD Orthodontics Dream Team