William D. Gilbert, D.D.S.

Guess who needed a broken filling replaced today? Yes, sometimes even your dentist needs to see a dentist, and I would see no other than our brilliant associate Dr. Elias Almaz, who repaired my filling using our Solea laser. No shots, no drills, no pain, no problem. Almost too good to be true. And I don't have to have a numb face the rest of the morning.

Required reading for anyone considering a career in dentistry. We practice a technical craft, but it is also a very human craft as well. Dentists who embrace the human challenges of dentistry, and rise to meet those challenges, are much happier than those dentists who just want to fix teeth.

Staff meeting this morning. We all posed for a picture in the silly dental socks given to us by Marina Milstein Orthodontics

People are really really upset about the public safety order that went into place yesterday in California about wearing face masks in public. I'm hearing a lot of anger, which is understandable, but also seeing some untruth and misunderstanding. If you're willing to hear it from someone who wears an N95 mask eight hours a day, I'll tell you what I understand to be the truth. First, I don't know how I feel about wearing masks in public all the time. I'm doing it, but I unde...Continue reading

You don’t have to be as fascinated with my granddaughter as I am, but there is some dental content here. Baby Isabella seems to like brushing her teeth, even if she doesn’t have any yet. Turns out it’s a good habit to get into.

Masks and hand sanitizer for patients, check. Knee-length isolation gowns and caps, check. Plastic full-face shields, check. N-95 respirators, check. MERV-13 air filters, check. Plexiglass partitions at front desk, check. Infrared forehead thermometer, check. Keeping our patients and our staff safe, check and check. We have carefully studied and implemented recommendations of the CDA, CDC, and CDPH, and are pleased to announce our doors will re-open tomorrow morning at 8:00am. We might look like we are dressed as astronauts, but we look forward to returning to routine practice on a limited basis, starting Monday May 18.

Front-page article in the Sacramento Bee today about dentists re-opening their offices. Bravo to Tony Bizjak for writing a complete, fair and factual piece. Our staff has been working all week to upgrade our facility, processes and procedures in order to meet federal and state guidelines released late last week. Just a few more boxes to check, but we expect to get our entire staff back to work and see patients beginning next Monday May 18. https://www.sacbee.com/ne/coronavirus/article242633176.html

I wonder where those four truckloads of masks are now, and how they are being put to use. I could have used a handful of them.

Our office remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. We are here of course, and look forward to re-opening when authorities agree the time is right. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please call our office number at 791-4646 to either leave a message or reach a doctor. We are coming in one morning each week to treat urgent emergencies that cannot wait until re-opening. Office staff are responding to voicemails from home several times a week. A lot of prob...lems and concerns we can solve over the phone. Call us if you need anything, we are here. Meantime, we are studying and implementing new procedures and equipment to help our patients feel confident and safe when we do return. We realize that the public is becoming increasingly impatient and agitated with the closure. I honestly have mixed feelings about the course of action our state and federal governments are taking, but I also feel a duty to put the safety and well-being of staff and patients first. That is why we will re-open our office only when we are convinced that adequate supplies of PPE are available to us, and that we can adhere to all recommendations set forth by the California Dental Association, the California Department of Public Health, the California Board of Dental Examiners, and the Centers for Disease Control Life will be different as our practice, our community, and our nation emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by a staff that is resilient and is skilled at embracing change. I feel fortunate to have a family of patients who count on us to always do the right thing, and it is our intention to continue to earn your trust. See more

Stay at home. The life you save might not be your own.Stay at home. The life you save might not be your own.

My admiration and respect to my dental colleagues who have chosen to comply with CDA's voluntary recommendation to close up your office for two weeks or more. It's not a convenient thing to do, it's not an inexpensive thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.

Late Sunday night, California Dental Association issued an advisory to all its member dentists to close their offices to non-emergency treatment for the next fourteen days. We have chosen to comply with that recommendation. We are now rescheduling all routine and preventive appointments, but we will remain available, as always, for emergencies and urgent needs. Please call, e-mail, or text us with your thoughts, concerns or urgent needs. We are here.