On March 16th, I took the decision to close Swords Orthodontics for routine orthodontic treatment as a public health measure in the response to the coronavirus Covid-19.
The choice was a simple one, but simple doesn't mean easy. Open or close, they were the basic options and the pros and cons of each were colossal.
Ultimately though, I felt there was a risk to patients, the public and the practice team if we stayed open. It was safer for every one if we didn't conduct business as usual.
Almost every orthodontist I know has done the same.
We don't know how long the Covid-19 Alert will last, so the duration of the closure is uncertain, but we're still here. We're closed, but not closed down...think of it as hibernation and we'll wake up when the snow melts.
For most recent updates from us, check out the Facebook page, or read our email updates (if you're not on our email list, please send us an email and we'll put you on). If you have pain or distress, or a question in general about your treatment, give us a call and leave a message - the phones will be monitored and the email will be checked.
If you're wearing elastics, please make sure your hand hygiene is excellent before putting them in or taking them out. If you don't think you can manage that, then don't wear the orthodontic elastics for now. If you've been wearing elastics for a while and the appointment you would have had is coming up, give us a call to see if you still need to wear them.
There will be more blogs, but they won't necessarily be updates or special clinical information - as I said, follow us on Facebook for the update stuff.
And wash your hands, and take the information about social distancing seriously. The less people everyone interacts with, the less this virus spreads, and that means less people will get sick and less people will die needlessly.