DENTAL practices will be among the most sterile environments in the country when they reopen in line with the latest government guidelines from tomorrow (Monday).
So says Catherine Tannahill, director of clinical dentistry at Portman Dental Care, which has more than 130 practices across the UK.
From temperature screening to cleansing mouthwashes, patients will notice significant differences to their usual dentist experience since Covid-19, all specifically made to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.
Dentists hope the measures will help reduce the concern of almost a third of people who expressed a reluctance to return to their dentist post-lockdown, according to research by Portman Dental Care.
Ms Tannahill said: “As practitioners we want to reassure patients that a trip to the dentist in the new normal will mean they will be visiting one of the safest environments in the UK.
“While our research shows some people are nervous to return, it’s vital as a profession that we reopen and provide treatments once again to those in need, to help curb any potential dental health crisis in the future, such as a spike in oral cancer, one of the UK’s biggest causes of cancer related deaths.
“The patient journey from June 8 will be different, to ensure everyone’s safety, but the care and professionalism from our dental practitioners will continue to be exemplary.
“In order to help combat any nervousness and uncertainty around returning to dental practices we want to clearly explain what this new patient journey is likely to look like across the majority of UK practices, including all of our own, that way people know first-hand what to expect, how to prepare and understand that it is safe.
“The virtual or remote consultations we have become accustomed to will continue even after reopening to aid convenience and reduce the need for contact in a surgery, with those in need of treatment then invited into practice.
“All patients in need of treatment will be called and briefed on the new procedures in place and details of their appointment before visiting the practice. They may also be asked to complete and return a new medical history form digitally ahead of their appointment.
“It is also crucial that people come to the practice alone where possible, with the exception of young children and those with carers, and that they bring as minimal personal belongings with them as possible.
“The practice doors will only be open to those with an appointment at the corresponding time, in order to stop people gathering in the waiting rooms. Therefore, patients will need to call the practice upon their arrival and either wait in their car or stand outside, practicing the social distancing recommendations, until a member of the team calls them to tell them to enter the practice.
“Before entering the practice, the patient’s temperature will be screened, which is something all colleagues will also undergo each day. This is to check whether they have a fever, and anyone with a temperature below 37.5 degrees will then be invited in. For safety, those with a temperature above this will be asked to rearrange their appointment.
“Once inside, receptionists will be sat behind plastic screens and the patient will be asked to sanitise their hands and put on a facemask.
“As dentists we obviously can’t carry out social distancing when performing routine check-ups and treatments, so the teams will be in full Personal Protective Equipment.
“Once the appointment is complete, patients will need to wash their hands and replace their facemask, before returning to the reception, where they will dispose of their mask in a designated bin.
“The treatment room and other key surfaces will then be fully cleaned and disinfected. This means that there will be longer time periods between patients, and so practices will be seeing a reduced number of patients each day. Before, a private dentist may have seen up to 21 patients per day, but post-lockdown this may reduce to as little as eight.
“Dentists are likely to begin working longer hours to accommodate the backlog of patients, but there will be a priority for appointments in the first instance, with those who are vulnerable, those in need of urgent dental care or those in need of continued routine dental treatment getting first priority.”
According to the research from Portman Dental Care, only three in ten people say they will feel comfortable enough to return to their dentist right away post-lockdown, with a third stating they will wait a couple of months or so and one in ten even claiming they will wait a year or more.
“We understand that people might be nervous about returning to their dentists, as similarly to the hairdressers, social distancing simply isn’t possible between clinician and patient, but it is concerning to see through our research that so many people are hesitant to return and some may even wait months before visiting.
“As with many other services, we are no longer in a place of business as usual, and so dentists have been working tirelessly behind the scenes over the past few months to restructure the way in which we carry out check-ups and treatments in order to help keep people safe and ensure the patient experience is as seamless as possible.”