Dear Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics Community,

We hope all is well for all of our patients and families. Good news! We plan to reopen Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics on June 1st following the preventative COVID-19 guidance from state authorities as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We are confident that these new measures provide the most safety and protection for our patients.

Click here for a video summary of our new protocols and/or read through the following!

Here are some changes to our practice that we call the “new normal”:

  • Patients should only come in at their designated appointment times 
    • Rescheduling options are available to those who arrive late
    • Our outdoor courtyard on the first floor is available to those who are early
  • Patients should come alone or with one guardian to minimize interactions with others 
  • Masks are to be worn by all patients/parents, even inside our office
  • Contactless temperature screenings available
  • We have reduced the number of patients coming in at one time
  • Our patient chairs are 6 feet apart
  • Future appointments should be scheduled on our website, text or phone only
  • When applicable, patients are encouraged to see our doctors using virtual appointments and remote dental monitoring systems

Our office is unique in the sense that it has fresh air circulation with our open windows and a living plant wall which provides natural air cleansing. There is also a commercial grade filtration system in the vents of the entire office building. For the rare appointments that generate aerosol, we have an evacuation system in place. Personal protective equipment has always been used by our team, but we have added additional layers!

We thank you for being compliant with these new preventative measures. As always, the team at Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics wants the best, safest option for our patients including their health and wellbeing.

We can’t wait to finally see you in person!

Click here to visit our Corona FAQ page.

UPDATE – 30 April:

NEW Update for COVID-19

Dear Gorton & Schmohl family and friends,

We miss you all very much and we miss being able to do what we all love, which is to practice orthodontics! Please know that we are committed to remaining available to you via text / phone (415 459-8006), email ([email protected] or fro[email protected]), and live virtual consultations to discuss treatment plans- email your tooth photos before scheduling!  (https://marinortho.appointlet.com). 
 
While we are looking forward to opening our doors again, patient and staff safety is our highest priority and we will follow the extension of the Bay Area Shelter-In-Place order through May 31st. The Marin Health and Human Services department describes the May 4th easement: “certain businesses that operate primarily outdoors and some outdoor activities will be allowed to resume with specific conditions” and we are not included in this. The California Department of Public Health still “directs dental practices to suspend dental care with the exception of emergencies”. We invite you to visit our website for updates and frequently asked questions.
For our Invisalign patients, if you are nearing the end of your aligner set, we want to see how your aligners are fitting! For our braces patients, we’d love to see how your bite is coming along! Please email us photos by following this tutorial. 
As a reminder, we also have virtual appointments available for new patients using the SmileSnap feature on our website – tell your friends!
 
Thank you for understanding and we wish you all the best in the coming month.
 
Sincerely, 
Doctors & Staff at Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics

UPDATE – 30 March:

This update supersedes all other updates

In response to the rapidly evolving recommendations regarding COVID-19, the California Dental Association has recommended that dental offices remain closed  until further notice.   We will be reaching out to all our patients to schedule / reschedule as soon as we know when we are able to reopen. For questions or concerns, call or text the office at (415) 459-8006 (please be patient with our reduced staff). Take care and stay well!

UPDATE – 17 March:

COVID-19 BUILDING CLOSURE

From Tuesday March 17 at 12 am through Tuesday April 7 at 11:59 pm, there is a government issued “Shelter in Place” order for Marin County and our office complex will be locked.
Please reach out to reschedule if you had an appointment during that time period. For now, we are leaving in place appointments from April 8 onward.
Despite anticipating a temporary interuptions in our ability to receive packages, we aim to fulfill the majority of Invisalign patient appointments virtually by mailing aligners together with dental monitoring kits. The exception is for patients needing new attachments placed on teeth in the office.
We invite prospective patients to try our Virtual Consultation tool on our website at www.MarinOrtho.com to be able to start their orthodontic evaluation from home.
UPDATE – 16 March:
We ask that if you are sick, have a compromised immune system or are elderly that you stay home. For the time being, our office has chosen to remain open for the following reasons:
1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is saying COVID-19 manifests as a Mild illness in 80 percent of those afflicted and that most illnesses during this season will NOT be COVID-19 related, but instead be the “common cold” or influenza which continue to circulate in the community.
2) As health care professionals, we are already trained in and accustomed to implementing strict infection control procedures and universal precautions. We will continue to make your health a top priority.
NOTE:  We are also offering the following modifications:
  1. Instead of checking yourself in in our touch screen, you may check in verbally with our front desk team.
  2. Once you let us know you are here, you are welcome to wait in the outdoor courtyard downstairs or in your car if it is not yet time for your appointment to start. Our front desk team will text you when your chair is ready.
  3. For patients using Invisalign treatment, you have the option of receiving a Dental Monitoring kit we can send in the mail for our doctors to monitor your case remotely, eliminating the need for “check” appointments. Contact our office for details. 415-459-8006 , [email protected]
  4. Starting mid-March, we will offer new patients the option of starting with a virtual consultation online via our website www.MarinOrtho.com
As always, the strongest defence against any virus is to keep your immune system strong with adequate sleep, healthy eating and exercise!
Sincerely,
Drs. Jasmine Gorton, Bill Schmohl & Sona Bekmezian.
Corona Update and Alternatives