Hi everyone, it’s Leah here from Alma Dental Centre. I just wanted to give our patients an update regarding our recent renovations. Things are moving along smoothly and the end is finally in sight! Our projected date of return is July 20th. All the final touches are being completed and the technicians are working hard to have everything set up and ready to go. Some of you may be wondering what changes have been made.
Besides the cosmetic upgrades (lighter and brighter), a lot of work was done behind the scenes, so to speak. While most of our equipment was current and up to date, some changes had to be made to the plumbing and electrical systems at the office to bring them up to current codes. As well, all of our equipment that is used directly on patients has been modernized – that includes the patient chairs, the suction and delivery units, the lights, the xray machines, and even the computer screens.
The small, wall mounted TV’s have been removed and recycled, and new flat screen TV’s were installed in the ceiling above the patient chairs. The HVAC system needed to be replaced by the building management and so they used this renovation as an opportunity to install that with no interruption to us! Every dental office has a large compressor that runs all the suction lines – ours used to be up in the ceiling, which meant one of us climbing a ladder into the attic every time we needed to check it. That compressor has now been moved into a small, easily accessible room at the back. We have installed new storage units for all the dental products we use on a daily basis, which enabled us to slightly enlarge the patient rooms and create more space. Our back lab was reconfigured and additional storage was added to that area as well.
Our reception area received a complete overhaul – extra drawers, extra cupboards, an ergonomically correct desk and most importantly: new lights! (We are particularly excited about the lights). Additionally, new flooring was installed throughout our office – a combination of tile and laminate, with not a stitch of carpet anywhere! Gone is the heavy glass door that divided the reception area from the back and a lighter version has now been installed.
So some of you may wonder what happened to the old equipment we replaced. The majority of the dental chairs, lights and xray heads were donated to several non-profit dental organizations. One of these organizations provides dental care for children of low income families in Sidney, BC. Another works with residents of the downtown Eastside, helping them to get dental work done that they may not otherwise be able to afford and we at Alma Dental Centre are very happy that our equipment could be used in this capacity. We are very excited about all the changes that we’ve made and we invite all of our patients to stop by and take a look. Hoping to see you all soon!
Leah