It’s been some time since I’ve posted. I’ll say that I settled in quite well to being home with my wife and kids, and used the time to turn away from my business and toward my family. I’ve been available to answer the phone and address any patient needs that have come up, but other than that things have been pretty quiet here. By quiet, I mean that it’s been the most exhausting 8 weeks of my life! Anyone who thinks staying home with the kids is an easy job hasn’t done it. And there were two of us (my wife and I) home with them every day!
I hope this finds you all doing well and coping with the current life we are living. Last Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that dental practices can begin to re-open for routine patient care beginning on May 11. Talk about having advance notice! So the State has some relatively vague recommendations for modifications to the office, but there is generally a lack of advice for how to re-open in a manner that is safe for patients and my staff. In addition, the CDC and OSHA have not changed their guidance recommending that we are only open for emergency and urgent treatment, and only if we have proper PPE. SO… I am following the federal guidelines out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of keeping everyone safe. We will re-open May 19 for emergency and urgent treatment needs. Lots of kids have had needs that we have not been able to address for the past several months, and many are experiencing symptoms due to the lack of care. I know there are dentists who are following the Illinois guidelines and are re-opening to routine, elective care. I’m not going to say that is right or wrong. Everyone, including dentists, staff, and patients, has to make their own decision regarding what they feel comfortable doing. I know there are patients who are anxious to get in the office for routine care, school forms, et cetera. But three years from now, I’d be hard pressed to believe that anyone is going to care if they had their teeth cleaned in May 2020 or July 2020. I’ll be the first to admit that depending on the time of day, I have a different opinion on the topic. But in the end, I’m choosing to defer routine elective care until there is more guidance and recommendations from the CDC and OSHA. As a mentor of mine says, “I try to be on the cutting edge, but not the bleeding edge”. Thanks Dr. Lambert if you’re reading this, you’ve always given me great advice.