Information to prepare yourself for your next dental appointment in times of Covid-19

Situation on June 25, 2020: D+3 after reopening

Well, not quite D+3, since our air filtration equipment only arrived on Tuesday, the 23rd, in the early afternoon. A delay in delivery of this critical equipment was one of our fears, it was unfortunately well founded! Some uniforms still haven't arrived, but, unlike the air purification system, this is not a sine qua non condition to reopen the clinic.

Now, with equipment and protocols in place since this morning, we can receive you in optimal conditions of comfort, safety and asepsis!

Here are the changes we've made to our ops for your dental care.

Enjoy the show!

Situation on June 8, 2020: D-14 before (re)opening

The big day is fast approaching and we are working hard to get everything ready in time. Our biggest challenge, making sure that the protective equipment arrives on time. So far, delivery schedules are being met.

We should receive and install the Jade air purifiers the week of June 15. They're coming in a special convoy from Toronto, we're not the only dentists impatiently waiting for them...

While waiting to see you again, we have prepared for you this short video to briefly explain the course of your next appointment in the context of social distancing measures and of reinforced asepsis.

Enjoy the show!

Situation on May 22, 2020: we will soon be able to see each other again!!!!

We are really looking forward to seeing you again soon and to be able to offer you the best dental care in a safe and welcoming environment.

Since the beginning of the crisis we are experiencing, we have established a guideline to prepare our, your, dental clinic to deal with Covid-19. We will reopen the clinic when we can confidently answer "YES" to the following two questions.

  • For our employees: do I have confidence that the measures implemented at the clinic ensure my health and safety and give me the opportunity to perform my work in the best possible conditions?
  • For our patients, do I have confidence that the measures implemented at the clinic make it a safe place that I would choose for the dental treatments of my family and loved ones?

Last Monday, we learned, along with you, the good news: the dental clinics will be able to reopen as of June 1st. However, it's very likely that we won't be ready on June 1st, here's why:

  1. The final official guidelines from the health authorities to govern the practice of dentistry in the context of Covid-19 were communicated to us on May 22nd at 16:40. Many of the proposed measures are those that we had already chosen to implement and some of our major choices go beyond the recommendations of the authorities.
  2. A lot of personal protective equipment (for you and for us) has not yet been delivered to us and some of it is still in backorder or is intended primarily for hospitals.
  3. The same goes for the equipment we ordered in mid-April to help us control aerosols during dental treatments. They are in high demand all over the world and we should only receive them around mid-June.

As a result, we are planning a limited opening for the week of June 22nd and a full opening the week of June 29th..

> What will have changed at the clinic?

While waiting for official guidelines, we have rethought the clinic's environment and our work protocols to be able to continue to care for you even during another COVID-19 outbreak period. Here are some important changes that you will find on your next visit:

  • we have installed 3 levels of air decontamination for you (and us) to ensure the healthiest environment possible.
    • First of all, more efficient suction instruments in order to reduce by 90% the volume of aerosols and droplets projected during dental treatments (watch the video).
    • Then, we equipped each of the treatment rooms as well as the common areas of the clinic with its own professional air filtration and sterilization system (including a HEPA-Rx filter and a high intensity UV-C light) which eliminates 99.99% of bio-aerosol contaminants (viruses, bacteria...). The (Canadian) technology we have chosen has already proven itself in the medical and dental fields throughout North America (watch the video).
    • And if the first two levels of air purification were not enough, we increased the filtration capacity of our heating and air conditioning system to MERV-13 (hospital level) and also added a UV-C light treatment module (destruction of bioaerosolized contaminants) on this system as well.
  • Our asepsis protocols, already among the strictest, have become even more stringent to eliminate the risk of cross-contamination as much as possible.
  • We have invested in new personal protective equipment (PPE) made in Quebec, nearly 100 in total (!). We change into new PPE between each patient. And not to make anyone jealous, there are also special ones for you too!
  • We will continue the remote consultations (for dental emergencies and other purposes) that we have been doing since mid-March in order to better identify your needs and plan your visits to the clinic more efficiently.
  • We are currently setting up a secure platform for online appointment booking (more advanced than the one we have at the moment) and another one for visio-conferencing in order to be able to carry out remote consultations in the best possible conditions.
  • Other measures are also being implemented to limit your waiting time at the beginning and end of your appointment and favour social distancing (watch the video prepared by our Belgian colleagues, which, with a few slight differences, will give you an overview of the measures we are implementing).

Better capture aerosols at the source
(PureVac system)

Air purification and sterilization
(Surgically Clean Air)

New protocols
(the example of Belgium)

Situation on April 20, 2020

soins dentaires et Covid-19

Further to the directive issued by the Ordre des Dentistes du Québec on March 15, 2020 based on the recommendations of provincial public health authorities, the clinic is closed until May 4, 2020.

However, the effective date of our return to work (which has already been postponed by the competent authorities) may be modified at any time in accordance with new ODQ guidelines for the dispensing of dental care in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This global pandemic context and the prospect of having to live for many months with the virus that caused it (with periods of remission and others of resurgence) encourages us to further improve our asepsis protocols, which are already among the most rigorous in the medical world.

We are working hard to identify and implement the measures that will allow us to continue to receive you with reinforced and adapted asepsis and air treatment protocols. As always, rest assured that we strive for excellence and that the good health of everyone, patients and clinic employees, is at the centre of our concerns.

> Tips for dental pain in confinement...

First of all, don't hesitate to call us for any advice, it will be our pleasure to answer you. We take your messages and emails several times a day during the week and do voluntary phone consultations when necessary.

As the confinement continues, we want to share with you some tips to help you manage any dental discomfort that may occur before we can meet again. You can also find more information about dental problems and dental care in our Frequently Asked Questions.

In periods of stress and anxiety, there is a tendency to bruxism and more nighttime teeth clenching, which causes muscle spasms and significant pressure on the temporomandibular joints. If this happens to you, follow these tips for two weeks:

  • I'd advise you to go on a soft diet that puts less strain on those joints,
  • Don't open your mouth wide,
  • Apply warm, moist compresses to the joints: 5 to 10 minutes, 3 times a day,
  • Avoid coffee and alcohol,
  • If possible, and only if you are reasonably certain that you have not been in contact with Covid-19, take a Robax Platinum at bedtime (it contains a low dose muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory),
  • And of course, if you have a balanced and comfortable occlusal plate, wear it religiously at night and even during the day as many hours as necessary/feasible, it will help relieve these pains.
  • Drink warm beverages whenever possible,
  • In the evening, before going to bed, do your usual ritual of brushing, flossing, brushes, etc.,
  • Then massage the base of the sensitive tooth (at the gum line) with a clean finger and the equivalent of a grain of rice of Colgate Pro Relief,
  • Spit, but don't rinse it out.
  • Drink warm beverages whenever possible,
  • Avoid chewing on the sensitive side,
  • If the sensitivity lasts more than a few days, give us a call, we'll probably have to see you soon.
  • Avoid chewing on the sensitive side,
  • wear your balanced occlusal plate if you have one.
  • if it is easily accessible, use a new and clean nail file. (Yes! I know! I can hear you exclaiming already... but this is a time of confinement and this type of problem does not qualify as a dental emergency during a pandemic),
  • If it's not accessible, get orthodontic wax from the pharmacy,
  • dry the tooth as much as possible,
  • press a small pellet of this wax on the tooth. Don't worry, if you swallow a little, it's not a problem,
  • In any case, as soon as possible, make an appointment for us to take care of it!
  • if you can put it back on the tooth, do it with Fixodent or Poligrip: these are pastes available in pharmacies and are used to stabilize dentures,
  • make sure you keep your teeth clean,
  • if possible, remove the bridge/crown for the night,
  • In any case, as soon as possible, make an appointment to have it properly cemented back in place.

Something may be stuck under the gum, such as a spice or a small piece of meat.

  • Tie a knot with dental floss,
  • In front of a mirror, floss as far below the gum as possible,
  • Then pull the dental floss far to the side to try to dislodge the piece,
  • Repeat a few times if necessary,
  • Then rinse with a mouthwash such as Listerine 0 or Peroxyl,
  • If the swelling lasts more than a few days, give us a call.
  • As soon as possible, gently replace the tooth by applying slight pressure to guide it into its socket, even if there is some bleeding,
  • give your child a soft diet for 10 days and Tylenol for pain, if needed,
  • If necessary, also apply a cold compress to the lip,
  • In case of doubt or if you have any questions, call us.