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Smileworks Orthodontics’ Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on March 26, 2020

Please click here to watch Dr. Hussaini’s message to all our patients in response to the Governor of Virginia’s order prohibiting all elective treatment through April 24, 2020. Below is his accompanying letter as well:

 

Dear Patients/Parents,

I hope all of you are doing well and staying healthy. All of us at Smileworks Orthodontics miss all of our wonderful patients and are anxious to return to some sort of normalcy soon. Unfortunately, the Governor of Virginia yesterday released an order prohibiting all healthcare providers, which includes orthodontic offices, from providing non-emergent procedures through Friday April 24th in order to make sure the proper PPE (personal protective equipment) is available for the front line personnel that are fighting COVID-19 instead of being used up for elective procedures. I did my best to explain our current situation in this video. I apologize about the length but there was a lot of important information I had to discuss. The key takeaways from the video are as follows:
  • We will be providing regular updates as needed. Please follow/like us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest information.
  • Current anticipated reopening date is Monday April 27th. I am truly hoping we are able to return on that date, but a small possibility exists that the governor’s mandate may get extended. We will keep you posted.
  • We will NOT be rescheduling appointments at this point in time. Please do not call our office to reschedule your appointment right now. We want to keep our phone lines open for patients that need immediate attention. We will contact you ourselves as we get closer to knowing for sure when we are able to reopen. (Trust me, we are all anxious to get back to work as well!)
  • It is imperative for all patients to maintain excellent oral hygiene at home, especially since general dental offices are closed for cleanings as well. Please make sure to brush at least 3 times daily and floss/use a Waterpik every night.
  • Patients in braces: please make sure you are avoiding prohibited foods (hard, crunchy, sticky) to avoid breakage of braces. If something does happen to break or if a wire is poking, please visit our website/social media channels for instructions to resolve simple problems at home. If you cannot, please contact our office and one of our team members will virtually assist you as needed to make sure you are comfortable.
  • Patients wearing elastics/rubber bands: please be on the lookout for an email in about a week or so. We will provide you instructions on how to submit pictures for treatment monitoring. I will review treatment progress and our staff will reach out with further instructions, including discussing how to get you more rubber bands if needed.
  • Patients in treatment with clear aligners (3M, Invisalign, etc.): please be on the lookout for an email in about a week or so. We will provide you instructions on how to submit pictures for treatment monitoring. I will review treatment progress and our staff will reach out with further instructions, including discussing how to get you more sets of clear aligners if needed.
  • Patient in retainers: please make sure you are following the instructions provided at your previous visit. Please remember that not following these instructions can result in your teeth/bite shifting back.
  • Patients with lost/broken retainers: please call our office starting Monday March 30th and we will discuss options on how to get you replacement retainers.
This is an unprecedented situation and all of us here at Smileworks Orthodontics are doing our best. Please understand this situation is out of our control and we are simply following government mandates. We will get through this together and I promise you we will do everything we can to continue providing the very best orthodontic treatment for you and your family as soon as we are able to reopen. All of us here miss all of you out there and are looking forward to seeing you guys again soon.
Take care and stay safe,
Dr. Hussaini