Chomping Through the COVID Surge
All through the pandemic, Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters has gone above and beyond to protect the health and safety of everyone who comes through its doors.
On March 17, 2020, Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters closed its doors for what was expected to be a two-week hiatus, addressing the surge in cases of COVID-19. Cavity Busters’ owners, Drs. Josh, Jason, and Rachel Bresler, used the mandated two-week COVID shutdown to devise a new strategic plan to operate their pediatric dental practice safely and effectively in the new “COVID normal.” Their goal: to ensure that their patients never questioned if they always had a dental home.
With 250 employees, the Breslers were concerned about keeping their entire work family healthy and safe. Medical supplies were not only scarce but also absurdly expensive. Surrounding hospitals ceased providing patient elective care, including dentistry. The Breslers knew they had to act quickly and take out-of-the-box action to address the rapidly changing crisis.
“It felt like the weight of the world was on our shoulders,” says Dr. Rachel Bresler. “We knew we had to step up and step in, however possible.”
For most dental practices, access to PPE (personal protective equipment) was the limiting factor in terms of when they could reopen their offices; some offices would have to remain closed for months. PPE disposable gowns—typically priced under $1 apiece—were now $7 each. After calling supplier after supplier, Dr. Rachel realized the depth of their predicament.
“It was time for us to get creative,” she says, “and that’s what we did!”
She recalls that one PPE supplier—Safety Padding Ink in Hatfield, owned by Robert and Anthony Mancino—was a savior. “Making PPE was not part of Mancinos’ regular business,” she says, “but when we brought them a PPE gown pattern, their team rose to the occasion and quickly manufactured hundreds of cloth gowns we needed to reopen our doors.”
Procuring the gowns was only one piece of the puzzle they needed to reopen. The Breslers also had to determine how they would launder so many gowns every day.
“I spent over 20 hours on the phone with hardware stores in three states, tracking down washing machines and dryers needed to get the job done,” Dr. Josh Bresler remembers. “I then had to drive around to those locations, pick them up, and find installers—all in the midst of utter chaos.”
This was not the only time Dr. Josh found himself “going the distance.” While UPS deliveries were on hold, he traveled back and forth to Harrisburg to pick up necessary supplies for the practice.
“We knew what had to be done,” says Dr. Jason Bresler. “We were committed to COVID care protocols ‘on steroids,’ purchasing and instituting every possible mitigation effort and device available.”
The Breslers installed air scrubbers, HEPA filters, extraoral and intraoral suction devices, and much more. Dr. Jason adds, “We also had to create new jobs, and repurpose some of our work team into the new roles of COVID screeners for each of our eight locations to help implement vigorous staff and patient-screening procedures advised by the CDC, WHO, and OSHA.”
It was a trying time. Recommendations seemed to change constantly, meaning the Breslers had to pivot on a continuous basis. As soon as they wrote new protocols for their team, they would have to rewrite them in accordance with new guidance from regulatory agencies.
Finally, when vaccinations were approved, Team Bresler began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Leading by example, they were among the first providers to get in line for vaccines, ensuring that each employee registered for vaccinations, upon eligibility. This involved countless hours and sleepless nights, hitting multiple computer “refresh” buttons over and over, all to secure needed vaccination appointments.
“In summer 2021, when COVID seemed like it was fading, many dental practices lowered their guards and reversed their protocols, unprepared for another surge,” Dr. Josh says. “We stood strong, remaining protocols-enforced, and preparing for what we knew could come. It was our obligation to our own health and our staff to keep them healthy and employed, and our obligation to our patients to safely provide comprehensive and emergent dental care. That’s what kept us going.”
Drs. Rachel, Jason, and Josh Bresler know that their experience over the past two years has fortified their outlook as they plan for the future. With multiple expansion projects in the works, they have expanded their vision while addressing and supplementing design/build considerations for optimal safety and efficiency. With every COVID-19 surge, and with reinforcements in place, the Breslers believe they are prepared to handle whatever comes their way.
Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters has office locations in Doylestown, Dresher, Jenkintown, Newtown Square, Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Northeast Philadelphia, Roxborough, and South Philadelphia, as well as multiple Brace Busters locations, and Red Lion Surgicenter and Special Touch Dentistry, both in Philadelphia. For more information, visit cavitybusters.com or call (215) 543-5555.
Photograph by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, May 2022.
