Patients left scrambling after Quispamsis, N.B., orthodontist abruptly closes practice

People coming off the Easter long weekend needing some work from their orthodontist may have had quite the shock Tuesday morning.

Dr. John Sherrard Orthodontist in Quispamsis, N.B., announced through its website it was closing its shop for good with no warning to patients or reason given.

The posted statement reads in part: “Sadly, after much heartfelt consideration, we intend to wind up our practice in an orderly manner and would like to sincerely thank the local community and our patients for their support in coming to this difficult decision.”

The office was closed the week prior, with a note on the door citing staffing shortages and a plan to reopen on April 2, which never happened.

Maranda Fullerton is one of many now former clients of Dr. Sherrard searching for answers following the abrupt closure of her orthodontist.

“A lot of people are pretty frustrated,” she says. “We’re in the midst of treatment; I’m near the end of my treatment so my prominent questions are what happens when I’m finished with this set of aligners.”

Fullerton says no one she has spoken with, including herself, were notified ahead of time the office would be closing. She learned of the closure, like many others did, through social media.

She says a Facebook group has been started by former clients to try and figure out answers as to what will happen next.

“Other orthodontists are happy to assist and are going to do what they can, but they are private businesses and we can’t expect them to absorb the cost of another business,” says Fullerton. “So it’s going to have to come out of pocket.”

She has heard some orthodontist have disconnected their phones to deal with the large volume in calls since the clinic closed Tuesday, and she plans to wait for the dust to settle a little more before starting to figure out what comes next for her.

Fullerton also notes a charity she worked with in partnership with the former clinic helped fund children getting orthodontist care.

“My first concern is for those families because our organization has paid for it,” she says. “They don’t have the means to absorb any costs so what does that ripple effect mean for them.”

New Brunswick Dental Society executive director Paul Blanchard says he learned of the clinic closure at the same times as everyone else when phone calls started pouring into the society Tuesday. He says the focus of the society right now is ensuring a smooth transition of patient records to their new orthodontist.

“Normally for a closure of a clinic…in a rural area, it’s somebody who is trying to sell the clinic and can’t find a buyer or an older dentist, and it would take them almost a year to wind down their practice,” he notes, adding he hasn’t seen an abrupt closure like this in his four-and-a-half years as executive director. “Part of that requirement is they find a dental home for their patients, and they transfer all their patient records to that other provider.

“Typically when a clinic changes hands that’s done behind the scenes and all transparent to the patients, but in this case it is sort of a sudden closure so those details have yet to be ironed out.”

Blanchard admits even he did not know why the clinic decided to shut down, and says he has not spoked directly with Dr. Sherrard this week. He expects more answers to come in the days ahead.

“We have taken hundreds of calls from people and we are going to try to put something on our Facebook page when we get some information,” Blanchard says. “I think over the next week or so we will know a lot more then we do now.”

In an update posted to their website Thursday afternoon, Dr. John Sherrard Orthodontist said all patient records are being kept safe and will be transferred to their new orthodontist once arranged. 

The latest update also notes patients on a payment plan should not have had any money taken from their accounts since the clinic’s initial temporary closure at the end of March, but recommended calling banks to ensure those payments have stopped.

The statement says the vast majority of their patients are with Invisalign, and the clinic has arranged all digital treatment plans and files to be transferred without additional cost from Invisalign to ensure treatment continues without interruption.

For those looking to get back money after paying up front for their service in full, Blanchard recommends small claims court.

“In this case for example if somebody has paid the clinic in advance, could be $8,000 to $10,000 and has only received partial services so they would like to see that money back, we cant legally mandate that the dentist or clinic refund money,” he says.

CTV News Atlantic did reach out to Dr. John Sherrard, but he was unavailable for comment.

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