Advice for patients

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Dental practices are open 

In the first national lockdown, dental practices closed (or as good as) for around 12 weeks. However, during this second national lockdown, practices remain open.

 

Dental practices are safe

Dentists and their teams have trained in oral health care but also infection prevention and control too. Dental practices are well-versed in providing safe care and having practised cross-infection control for many years, using personal protective equipment. We have also recently invested in ventilation systems to improve ventilation within the treatment setting.

 

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Patients might need to be patient

Our practice is still catching up from when we were closed during the first national lockdown and as we are a NHS committed practice we may  may have a backlog. 

 

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Calling the practice

Please make sure you keep your appointment if you have one; it’s going to be safe and it’s important we don’t waste limited resources. If you can’t make an appointment, your practice may be able to offer it to someone else who really needs it.

 

If you’re looking for care, you may receive initial remote advice via the phone or video call. This may lead to advice being given or the arrangement of an appointment if the dentist deems it necessary. 

 

Please be assured that dentists are working within the current guidelines issued by governments and are doing their best to help patients wherever possible.

 

Receptionists are also doing their best to ensure that priority cases are treated as soon as possible. Please treat all the staff with respect. We know it can be stressful, but they are doing their best to help.

 

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What are dental appointments like?

Practices are using personal protective equipment such as mask, gloves and aprons and social distancing measures to keep staff and patients safe.

 

• If you call to make an appointment, you will be asked some screening questions. We will also email you some important forms for you to complete before your appointment. You’ll be asked those same questions again at your appointment to see if anything has changed since you booked

• You will probably be asked to use hand sanitiser or to wash your hands when you arrive (and again before you leave)

 

How you can help:

• Please do not arrive without an appointment

• With the exception of children and persons in need, patients should come alone

• If asked to send in photographs of your children’s teeth, first watch this helpful video on how to photograph children's teeth

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