WELCOMES YOU

COVID-19 UPDATE

DEAR PATIENTS

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I HOPE THIS MESSAGE FINDS YOU ALL WELL. 

WE ARE OPENING GRADUALLY IN ORDER TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE TELEPHONE TRIAGE, INCLUDING ADVICE AND/OR URGENT CARE WHERE NECESSARY AS WELL AS ROUTINE CHECK-UPS.

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WE ARE STILL AVOIDING CARRYING OUT ROUTINE TREATMENTS WHICH CREATE A SPRAY. THESE SPRAYS OR AEROSOLS CAN CARRY AND SPREAD THE VIRUS. FILLINGS AND ELECTRONIC CLEANING ARE HIGH-RISK PROCEDURES, THEREFORE WE ARE ONLY USING DRILLS FOR URGENT TREATMENTS. REMOVING PLAQUE AND TARTAR (CLEANS) WITH HAND INSTRUMENTS WILL BE THE NORM WHILE THE COVID RISK LEVELS ARE HIGH, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE KEEP YOU SAFE.

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WE ARE STILL CANCELLING MOST APPOINTMENTS AS WE ARE PRIORITISING PATIENTS WITH URGENT CARE & CAN ONLY SEE A FEW PATIENTS PER DAY DUE TO MANDATORY DISTANCING MEASURES. WE ARE PERFORMING URGENT AND AS MUCH ESSENTIAL CARE AS POSSIBLE.  TO ENABLE US TO DO THIS WE NEED TO FREE UP THE APPOINTMENT BOOKS. PLEASE BEAR WITH US, IF YOU HAVE HAD YOUR APPOINTMENT CANCELLED, WE WILL BE IN TOUCH AS SOON AS WE CAN TO GET YOU BOOKED IN AND SEEN AGAIN.

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WHAT CLASSES AS URGENT CARE?

EMERGENCY OR URGENT CARE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

SEVERE CONTINUOUS BLEEDING

SWELLINGS

UNCONTROLLABLE PAIN

SEVERE TRAUMA

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WE ARE MAINTAINING TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS TO ENABLE US TO ASSESS MORE PATIENTS, MORE QUICKLY, IN THE SAFEST POSSIBLE WAY. 

WE ARE WORKING THROUGH OUR LISTS OF PATIENTS WITH URGENT NEEDS AND PRIORITISING THE ONES WHO WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF TREATMENT OR HAD PROBLEMS WHILE WE WERE CLOSED. REST ASSURED THAT WE ARE WORKING HARD TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG AND WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER YOU A ROUTINE APPOINTMENT BEFORE TOO LONG.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE IF YOU NEED IS URGENT OR ESSENTIAL THEN PLEASE DO CONTACT OUR RECEPTION TEAM TO DISCUSS – OUR DENTISTS ARE AVAILABLE TO CARRY OUT A TELEPHONE CONSULTATION IF NECESSARY – WE WILL BE GLAD TO HELP.

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WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU HERE AGAIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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LOVE AND BEST WISHES, 

RESHMA SHAH, REBECCA WALLIS, LAURA, HELEN AND NICOLA XXX

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BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT

We will send key information, including your appointment time/date and what to do when you arrive. To ensure your comfort and safety, we will email/call you the day before your appointment to do a Covid assessment, update your medical history and answer any questions you have about your visit to us.

ON THE DAY OF YOUR APPOINTMENT

Before you depart for the practice, we ask that you have already visited the lavatory, have ensured that you are hydrated and already brushed your teeth. It is important that you bring minimal belongings to the practice so please ensure you only bring necessary items with you; include a face mask.
When you arrive, the doors will be locked, so please call to let our team know you have arrived and either stay in your car or outside of the practice (whilst maintaining good social distancing protocol) if you have arrived on foot. To minimise risk, please ensure you attend your appointment alone unless you require assistance or are accompanying a child or someone vulnerable. We are encouraging card payments only so where possible, please do not arrive with cash.

ENTERING THE PRACTICE

When it is time for your appointment, one of our team will escort you into the practice. Before entering the practice, a nurse will take your temperature to ensure you do not have a fever and invite you in if your temperature is at a safe value. Unfortunately, if you are above this, we will have to rearrange your appointment for the safety of all those in practice.

Once you have been invited into the practice, you will be asked to sanitise your hands. Our practice colleagues will be behind masks & protective face visors for the safety of everyone. You will then be guided to the appropriate treatment room.

TREATMENT

Before you enter the treatment room, you will need to leave any loose belongings like your coat or bag on the designated chair provided. Upon entering the treatment room, our teams will be wearing extra Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as in order to provide you with the right care and service, they cannot adhere to social distancing recommendations. Especially for fillings, this means that it is more difficult to see our colleagues and clinicians’ faces, but please be reassured that they will be the usually friendly team. Naturally we are also ensuring that each treatment room is carefully cleaned and disinfected after each patient. 
Currently we are providing examinations, scaling (gum cleaning) by hand, temporary fillings and simple extractions. We are doing urgent care (fillings) only when necessary, as very high risk.

AFTER THE APPOINTMENT

When your treatment is complete, put on your face mask, then collect your belongings from the chair outside the treatment room door. We will require payment ideally by card, using our freshly disinfected card machines. 

Before you leave the practice, you will be given hand sanitiser one last time, before we say goodbye. If you have any lengthy questions after the appointment, we will be able to call you to discuss this further as our aim is to minimise your time in the practice, for your own safety.

WELCOMING YOU BACK SAFELY

We hope that the above reassures you when visiting us that every step has been taken to ensure the safety of you, our colleagues and clinicians. This is our priority as we begin reopening our doors and return to providing you with the same standard of dental care that you have been used to.

If you have any questions at all regarding our new practice experience, please do not hesitate to contact us.