As you know, British Columbia has being doing quite well in the battle against COVID-19. In fact, BC is considered one of the safest places to be in North America. We are now in Phase 2 of the province’s response to COVID-19, and some wonder how orthodontic appointments will change, now and in the future.

Office area
The biggest change you will likely see is fewer people in the office. We will be trying our best to have greater physical distancing. That may mean coming in for your appointments by yourself and not with family members. But don’t worry—we’ll make it pleasant for you. Some of our staff may be able to work remotely, like accounting staff. If it’s possible to work remotely, we will implement it.

Masks
You will probably see more people wearing masks in the office. Wearing masks is just one added layer of protection.

Waiting room
You will probably not see several patients in the waiting room. Patients will wait outside or in their cars until it’s time for their appointments.

Faster appointment
In general, appointments will likely just go faster. Your time in the chair wonÂ’t change, but we will be more efficient at getting patients in and out. This is both for your safety and ours.

Conclusion
We can’t see into the future and know exactly what will happen. Much depends on the evolution of COVID-19 and if a vaccine becomes available. That said, now that we’ve been through a pandemic, we all know that another could always be on the horizon. There will likely evolve a new normal with all medical disciplines in which people take extra care to disinfect their hands and wear masks around others.

The new normal for Dr. Hicks and his patients will be the same old normal: extraordinary outcomes from their orthodontic treatment. The orthodontic science did not change overnight, and neither will your treatment. It’s the office management that will evolve. The Hicks orthodontic practice has been around for over 40 years, with Bryan Hicks taking over for his father. Dr. Hicks works hard to give his patients extraordinary outcomes from their orthodontic treatments.

If you have any questions about this article or need to talk to someone in the office, give us a call at (604) 922-0111