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Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF
558 Electric Avenue, Fitchburg, MA 01420
978-704-8329
www.brianmcdowelldds.com

5/31/2020,

To Our Practice Family,

We hope this letter finds you and your family healthy!  Our community has been through a lot these past few months, and we are all looking forward to getting back to “normal”.  While many things have changed, one thing that has remained the same is our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our office, as you have seen during your visits.  Our infection control protocols have been designed so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable.  We want to remind of the infection control protocols we follow and inform you of additional changes that we have made.

Our office has always followed infection control protocols endorsed by the American Dental Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any and all new rulings or guidance that is issued.

You will see some changes when it is time for your next appointment.  We made these changes to protect our guests as well as our team.  For example:

  1. Our office will contact you before your appointment to ask screening questions.  You will be asked the same when you arrive for your appointment
  2. We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use as you enter the office.  You will find this sanitizer throughout our office.
  3. You will be asked to come alone for your appointment or only one parent if a minor.  This will enable us to have fewer people in the office for social distancing.
  4. Appointments will be scheduled to allow social distancing.  The appointments will be staggered which means there may be fewer options available for scheduling your appointment
  5. We will do our best to allow greater time between guests to minimize your wait.
  6. We will be using enhanced protocols between each guest to ensure your safety

We look forward to seeing you all again- it has been way too long since we have been with our practice family!  We are happy to answer any and all of your questions or concerns about the new, enhanced protocols we are using to keep you and us safe.  To make an appointment, give us a call at 978-704-8329

, and for more information, visit our website: www.brianmcdowelldds.com.

Thank you for being part of our practice family.  We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming you back to our practice!

Sincerely,

Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF, Christine Hache R.D.H., Marylisa Allen R.D.H., Gabriella Perez

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Call Today978-401-9081 Request an Appointment
558 Electric Avenue, Fitchburg, MA, 01420
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet the Doctor
      • Dr. Brian McDowell
    • Meet the Team
    • Why Choose Us
    • Tour the Office
    • FAQ
  • Our Dental Services
    • General Dentistry
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Teeth Contouring
    • Restorative Dentistry
    • Dental Implants
    • Dental Emergencies
    • TMJ Treatment / Teeth Grinding
    • Sleep Apnea
  • Patient Testimonials
    • Smile Gallery
  • Patient Resources
    • Patient Forms
    • Payment Options
    • I Need a New Dentist
    • I Can’t Stop Snoring!
    • I’m Having Trouble Chewing
  • Virtual Smile Assessment
  • COVID-19 Protocols
  • Search
Home > Blog > DIY Dentistry

DIY Dentistry

August 22, 2019

The DIY trend… Many home projects can be done DIY. There a number of TV shows that feature DIY projects. But, when it comes to your health and healthcare, we all need to be careful what we are trying… As most have seen or heard by now, there is a DIY orthodontics company that is claiming the same results as seeing your dentist/orthodontist. While the claims they make and the finished cases they show seem to show great results, we do need to be cautious.

I have a number of concerns regarding DIY orthodontics. First, who is making sure the patients are following through with the treatment? Are patients left to figure out on their own if it is time for the next step? Not everyone’s teeth move at the same rate, some need to be on a step longer than others- who will be monitoring this? Second, When/if there are issues, who will be responsible for correcting the issue? If this is DIY- where the patient is in charge, is the patient expected to fix the issue themselves? As a dentist, stepping into the middle of someone else’s treatment is always tough, but would be even more difficult if I needed to rely solely on the patient to direct me as to what has happened. Third, as most of you know, my primary concern and interest id in finding the ideal, or physiologic bite. If you are not being checked by a dentist each step, how can anyone insure that your bite will be fine when finished?? The bite dictates so much about comfort. Even traditional orthodontics can and still has issues with bites not being correct when finished, so DIY orthodontics will most likely have even greater issues!

In my opinion, this is far from ideal treatment, I understand that cost is a factor for a lot of people, but what will be the cost to correct when something goes wrong? The old adage still holds: “you get what you pay for”. I’m sure there are people who have done this DIY orthodontics and have wonderful results, but the majority will end up with marginal to poor results. They will end up needing more work to correct when it could have been done in less time and less overall cost than having to go back and correct the issues.

If you have any questions about DIY orthodontics, or would like a consult to find out what we can do for you, please contact Gabriella at 978-401-9081 to schedule your consultation. For more information, please visit our website at: www.brianmcdowelldds.com , our facebook page is: www.facebook.com/brianmcdowelldds.com .

Sincerely,

Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF

What Our Patients Are Saying

K. C. (Verified Patient) | Apr 07, 2021
5
Dr. McDowell is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend seeing him for any TMD issues you...
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Dr. McDowell is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend seeing him for any TMD issues you may be having. I drive over 5 hours each way for my treatment, that in itself speaks volumes.

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1st time I had the issues explained plainly. Simple comon sence terms.

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Great place to visit all staff where very nice and made you feel comfortable and safe during these times with covid the staff where right on top of the safety regulations!!!

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So happy we started going here! All of the staff is helpful and friendly, going above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. Absolutely recommend Dr McDowell and his staff!

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Office took all precautions for covid. They are very careful and follow all the recommended...
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Office took all precautions for covid. They are very careful and follow all the recommended protocols. Dr. McDowell takes time to answer questions and explain. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Always feel welcome whenever I have an appointment. ( Posted by Edith)

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Very clean and super friendly environment...

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Although I am still in the midst of treatment, I have to say that Dr....
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Although I am still in the midst of treatment, I have to say that Dr. McDowell has gone above and beyond in his treatment of my TMD, making himself available when necessary and doing his best to provide treatment, comfort, and relief. Dr. McDowell's staff has been excellent to work with as well; I find them very accommodating and in this COVID era, they seem to do everything possible to ensure that they provide treatment in a clean and sterile environment.

C. M. (Verified Patient) | Dec 09, 2020
5
Although I am still in the midst of treatment, I have to say that Dr....
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Although I am still in the midst of treatment, I have to say that Dr. McDowell has gone above and beyond in his treatment of my TMD, making himself available when necessary and doing his best to provide treatment, comfort, and relief. Dr. McDowell's staff has been excellent to work with as well; I find them very accommodating and in this COVID era, they seem to do everything possible to ensure that they provide treatment in a clean and sterile environment.

P. G. (Verified Patient) | Dec 04, 2020
4
Brian McDowell DDS is/ has been consistently great. Friendly professional staff, with very good Covid-19...
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Brian McDowell DDS is/ has been consistently great. Friendly professional staff, with very good Covid-19 safety protocols. I have high hopes for their continued excellence.

P. G. (Verified Patient) | Dec 04, 2020
4
Brian McDowell DDS is/ has been consistently great. Friendly professional staff, with very good Covid-19...
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Brian McDowell DDS is/ has been consistently great. Friendly professional staff, with very good Covid-19 safety protocols. I have high hopes for their continued excellence.

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Call Today to Make an Appointment 978-401-9081 Request an Appointment
558 Electric Avenue, Fitchburg, MA, 01420
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  • Wed: 8am- 5pm
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Call Today to make an Appointment 978-401-9081 Request an Appointment

Location

558 Electric Avenue, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Office Hours

  • Monday By Appt. Only
  • Tuesday 8am- 6pm
  • Wednesday 8am- 5pm
  • Thursday 8am- 6pm
  • Friday By Appt. Only
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed

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Call Today to make an Appointment 978-401-9081 Request an Appointment

Location

558 Electric Avenue, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Office Hours

  • Monday By Appt. Only
  • Tuesday 8am- 6pm
  • Wednesday 8am- 5pm
  • Thursday 8am- 6pm
  • Friday By Appt. Only
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed

Latest Blog Articles

Don’t Forget Your Spring (Dental) Cleaning!

With many of us home more than we used to be, some things may have changed in your normal household routine. Maybe ...

Read More
Healthy Gums Are Good for Your Teeth

Your oral health involves more than your teeth. If you want to keep your teeth, you also need to care for your ...

Read More
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