An orthodontist in Santa Clarita is discussing the safety of getting treatment during a pandemic, as well as how treatment plans are being modified to help patients feel more comfortable.

Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics was closed for 12 weeks when the pandemic first began, and has since reopened with increased safety measures in place, according to Dr. Megan LeCornu. 

“We were able to reopen in June, which was great, and (we’ve) just been implementing new procedures and protocols to make sure we do our part in keeping everybody safe,” LeCornu said. 

Related: Orthodontist In Santa Clarita Continues COVID-19 Protocols To ‘Keep You And Your Smile Healthy’

While all healthcare offices use standard precautions designed to protect patients and staff from diseases like influenza, hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV, LeCornu noted that the coronavirus pandemic has prompted increased safety measures, such as taking temperatures at the door and limiting the number of people in the office. 

Patients who are able to enter the office without their parents are encouraged to do so, LeCornu continued, adding that young minors with any anxiety about being separated from their parents are still able to come in with a parent and be placed in a semi-private room.

Screens have been constructed at the front desk and all staff, including front desk staff, now wear face masks, LeCornu added. 

“I think (like) everyone in our community, we’re all just adapting to the new standards and what we call the new norm,” she said.

Both Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics offices have resumed normal services and treatment protocols at reduced capacity, with new patients being accepted and adjustments available for treatment plans based on the patients’ comfort levels, according to LeCornu.

“I think there’s a lot of patients that have a little bit more heightened fear about going into any healthcare offices, which is completely understandable,” LeCornu said. “So some of those patients, we either try to adjust our treatment regiment on them and basically slow things up, making sure that they’re doing a good job of keeping their appliances clean.”

LeCornu continued, “We also have patients who have been ready to start treatment and they don’t want to come into the office as frequently, so sometimes we change what our treatment recommendation is to cater to their request and their needs.”

For instance, some patients were initially planning on going with braces for their orthodontic treatment, but have now decided to choose Invisalign instead because they can go longer between visits to the office, LeCornu explained. 

The American Dental Association recently announced that as of Aug. 4, no cases of coronavirus have been attributed to any dental practices in the United States, a fact which did not surprise LeCornu. 

“Healthcare facilities are probably some of the cleanest and safest places to be because of our routine sanitizing protocols that we already employ,” LeCornu said. “They’re very, very strong disinfecting and cleaning agents that we’ve employed for years and years now, and so I think the fact that there’s no reported cases from dental offices shouldn’t be a surprise to people. I do feel like those healthcare facilities are very, very safe.”

Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Community Spotlight for Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics.

Dr. Steven Gilbertson, Dr. Megan LeCornu and Dr. Pete Weber of Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics — formerly Gilbertson and LeCornu Orthodontics — have a solid reputation in the community as the premiere Santa Clarita orthodontist office for children, teenagers and adults using Invisalign and traditional braces. Together, they strive to provide orthodontic excellence and five-star customer service in a friendly, caring environment that makes each patient feel like a member of their family. Residents have voted Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics as Best Orthodontist in Santa Clarita for eight years. Anyone looking for an “orthodontist near me” can contact Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics today. 

Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics

23206 Lyons Avenue, Suite 206
Santa Clarita, CA 91321

(661) 259-2388

27891 Smyth Dr. Unit A
Valencia, CA 91355

661-295-8288

Embrace Your Smile Orthodontics – Santa Clarita, Valencia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08WOG8Af_qg

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