To our valued patients and community:
We hope you all are keeping well and staying safe.
Since our last update, the Ontario government has declared a state of emergency and has mandated the shutdown of all non-essential businesses in order to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Dental offices providing emergency care have been permitted to remain open. In light of this development, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) has maintained its strong recommendation that although emergency dental treatments should continue, all non-essential and elective dental services should be suspended until the state of emergency has been lifted. You can find out more about the RCDSO’s updates and recommendations here
In response to these recent developments, we will unfortunately need to reschedule all non-essential and elective appointments up to and including April 9th, 2020. Our team will be contacting all patients who need to be rescheduled within the next few days.
My own period of self-isolation due to my recent travel abroad will come to an end on March 29. Thank you everyone for your well wishes and kind words; I feel healthy and have had no symptoms throughout this period. If nothing changes, once my self-isolation period ends I aim to be available to treat dental emergencies on a case-by-case basis as per RCDSO recommendations (see here for the RCDSO’s guidance on emergency situations). Please keep in mind that the RCDSO is very specific in its definition of a “true emergency situation” (i.e. oral-facial trauma, significant infection, prolonged bleeding or pain which cannot be managed by over-the-counter medications) and as such, most situations will likely be managed remotely to the best of our ability.
I understand that this has been and continues to be a frustrating and challenging time for everyone, and while we here at Uxbridge Family Dentistry are all eager to get back to doing what we do best – helping our patients – it is imperative that we prioritize the health and safety of our team, our patients, and our community above all else.
Thank you all once again for your continued patience and understanding. As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me directly at drbanh@powergate.ca and I will do my best to assist you.
In the meantime, please stay safe, keep your hands clean, practice social distancing, and of course, brush and floss.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Banh