Dentistry can be a funny old profession. Many of us work in the same room daily for years at a time, with the same support staff, in the same surroundings. What keeps it interesting are the patients. Each Invisalign case is unique to a person’s smile. Each smile makeover or tooth whitening case means something different to each client. No one dental journey is identical to the next. A unique dental fingerprint each time.
I’ve often wondered what it would be like to have an ‘office job’ or if I could cope with ‘working from home’. The strange situation we find ourselves in, fighting Covid-19 has meant that I need wonder no longer. Though there are some lovely benefits to staying home (like Zoom calls with shorts on), but I must admit, I have missed the almost daily trips to our humble dental practice in beautiful Parsons Green. I miss my patients, my team, my drills, I miss the whole lot!
As a compromise, my ‘essential travel’ now includes delivering much needed packages to our patients. For example, we have many amazingly patient patients mid Invisalign treatment, ready for their next set of carefully fabricated clear aligners. Where possible, we have redirected their bespoke box of goodies to our home and hand delivered each one to their homes.
My ‘work’ now looks a little different. Key in the ignition in our newly repurposed postal delivery van (aka our family car) I now complete the quick journey to Fulham. It used to be a pilgrimage that would take an hour but now takes 15 minutes down the A3, over Putney Bridge into SW6 and my beloved Parsons Green. I reminisce of a past life of fumes, queues, traffic jams and loud honking. It is such a sobering thought to believe these halcyon days existed only 6 weeks ago.
Fully donned in PPE, Invisalign boxes, prescriptions and temporary filling packages all carefully handled in freshly gloved hands. Leave bag at front door. Call patient on phone to get their attention. Patient greets me from several metres away. Quick catch up. Finding our patients at Chelsea and Fulham as charming and chirpy as always. These sessions are fast becoming the highlight of my week. Social distancing measures now mean we meet and greet from at least 2 metres away, rather than the 20cm we have grown to be accustomed to whilst treating clients!
Working ‘out’ of the office is certainly a novelty, but I cannot wait to get back to normality, back to my sacred four walls, back in the dental office – our patients deserve it. Let’s hope my special postal service can stop so that our first-class service IN the practice can resume! One thing in all this madness is sure…… WE ARE READY!
Stay safe.
Imran
