While many things have changed since March 2020, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your health and safety.  Our office has always followed strict infection control standards and in order to keep us all protected during this pandemic and in the future, we have updated our protocols. We have also added many new air quality and safety features to our clinic including:

 

• Surgically Clean Air units surgically scrub the air with a multiple filter system that uses HEPA and Carbon filters, along with UV light. There will be a unit in all rooms with closed doors and a large unit in the reception area that will filter the main administrative area.

• AIIR Classic, developed and tested in B.C. Canada, HEPA and UV filtration system which removes aerosol and droplets at the patient's mouth during restorations, extractions and procedures. This collection and removal ensure that droplets and aerosols are not released into the clinical space.

• I WAVE Air Purifier installed onto the furnace of the building, uses Needle Point Bipolar Ionization technology to cleanse the air.

• All PPE as deemed to be necessary by the Royal College of Dental Surgeon of Ontario and Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, including N95s, gowns and caps above what we used to wear.

• All operatories, sterilization bay and lunchroom have closed sealed doors with sterilization procedures that are fully IPAC compliant.

• Thorough COVID screening for all patients and staff is done verbally every day.

Cancellation:

​

• We know life happens, however all we ask is that you let us know at least 24 business hours before your appointment so that we can offer that appointment time to another patient.
  Please call us at 705-887-1159 to cancel or reschedule.

​

Payment and Insurance:

​

• Please note that we take payment the day of service for any treatment at our office. We accept Debit, Visa, MasterCard and Cash.

• We will submit your insurance claim on your behalf (if it can be sent electronically) and your insurance company will then reimburse you directly.

• Please note that, because each insurance policy is unique, we do not have the ability to know and understand each one. Therefore, we ask that you are aware of your own coverage when booking appointments.

• We treat each person individually for the treatment they need, not by what your insurance covers.

​

Preparing for you First Visit:

​

• At your initial appointment, we need you to provide your personal, medical and dental history, along with a release for any records/radiographs from your previous dental office.

• Please bring a list of medications including dosages and names of doctors and specialists, along with details of when you were last seen by them. A list of all prior surgeries and their dates is helpful, as well as information on future surgeries you are waiting for.

​

Information for Existing Patients:

​

• Please bring a list of current medications including dosages to each visit.

• If you have had any recent heart or artificial joint surgeries or procedures, or if you are pregnant…
  please contact our office at 705-887-1159, before your appointment to let us know.

To my valued patients and friends,

   As dentists, we try to run successful caring businesses to serve and help our patients’ and their family’s oral health, with the best of equipment and technology available to make dental care as easy, accessible and comfortable as possible. We understand and care that there are people in our communities that need assistance to access oral health care.  The dentist patient relationship, and our caring office teams are very important to providing dental care. Unfortunately, one of the main problems with the Canadian Dental Care Plan currently being brought in by the Canadian government is that it requires a contract or a commitment with the dentist and the government – which can only undermine the dentist patient relationships we have built in our practices for years. There needs to be an option to have payments for CDCP care repaid to patients directly, like all other insurance companies do, rather than only reimbursing to care providers. This can better enable patients to remain with their existing dentist, and allows dental offices to remain as well equipped and caring independent businesses.
   The government is misleading the public entirely with this plan – beginning with the constant claims of it being free dental care for all. It is not free, like all other insurance plans, it covers some of the expense but never all of it. Minister Holland says he is “not going to ask patients to pay”, but this program does not cover all of the services you need. Patients do still need to pay and he is expecting dental offices to field all of these questions while he misleads Canadians, and pays Sunlife insurance company approximately 750 million dollars of your taxes to administer and direct how dental care is provided along with billions each year to fund the program, and gives Sunlife access to all of your private health information.  

   If patients like going to a dental office where they know the dentist well, and the long-standing team that they trust, smiling to greet them knowing their names… then they should want the government to reimburse the patient themselves directly for the care received. This would force the government to be honest and transparent about the coverage they are offering, and the dentist can discuss and offer the care that is needed, with the patient to be reimbursed immediately after. Dentists that are refusing to use the CDCP in the form that it is today, are simply telling their patients
that they are not willing to accept a program that is made to fail, we want our patients to have long term sustainable care and offices that will operate to serve and care for the public for years into the future.
   A large portion of our community is now lacking and missing primary care family doctors for their families, the offices where you knew your caring doctor and team well and their families lived in your neighbourhood. You knew they would see you the same day in case of an illness or earache with your child, they often delivered your babies, and where they administered vaccines themselves at appointments where they provided a full physical examination from head to toe and had time to listen to your needs and concerns. This is not the type of medical care that the government supports and provides when they start to dictate care…. as you can clearly see with the failing primary care medical system, walk in clinics and emergency rooms where you need to wait for hours to be seen by under respected and exhausted nurses and physicians lacking the support of enough family physicians and clinics in the community.
   The CDCP will not support small dental offices and the teams and equipment required to provide your care, they will dictate how we provide care and our facilities and teams will fail quickly. The level of service is compromised when dental
offices are not family owned, and when the patient cannot remain with their current dentist and team that they know and trust. Perhaps Minister Holland should consider some accountability and show that he can fix what is broken first – starting
with the failing medical system.

   Working in a situation that you don’t believe in, and that cannot be sustained, is stressful. Working at things you believe in – like running my own business and caring for our patients - is passion.  I am sure in the upcoming year 2025 our office, along with many other offices, will be forced or bullied into using the CDCP program, at which time I will comply with hopes of improvement in the program.  I will only be accepting current long time patients onto this program, as a courtesy, when this time comes.  Thank you for your patience so far.