COVID-19 UPDATE
Covid-19 Update
Dear Patients
We very much hope that you, your family and friends are in good health.
We have now acquired our necessary PPE and all team members have been fit tested. We have revised our standard operating procedures, completed our training and finished the practice modifications.
We are very pleased to inform you that we now have official timeline to reopen Dentistry@68.
· Week commencing 29/06/20 – priority bookings to those patients who have been in contact during closure with dental emergencies – 3 surgeries running.
· Week commencing 06/07/20 – as above, and resuming previously postponed/rescheduled dental treatments – 4 surgeries running.
· Week commencing 13/07/20 – hygienist service resumes – 5 surgeries running.
We are very thankful for your understanding during this time and thank you for your continued support and loyalty to the practice. These have been very difficult times for all of us and we understand that many of you have been unable to access the dental care you need. One of our team will be in contact with you over the coming weeks, to make any appointments required and to reschedule any appointments we have had to postpone.
Our priority, as always, is your safety and your care, and we would like to offer you reassurance that we have re-examined all of our procedures and protocols to ensure they give the highest level possible of safety to you and our staff.
We have always had very high levels of infection control in the practice but we have enhanced these measures even further to meet and go beyond new regulations and guidelines following the Covid-19 pandemic.
You will, therefore, notice a number of changes when you have your next appointment. These will include:
· Before your appointment, we are required, to contact you via email or telephone to complete a short questionnaire regarding Covid-19 and your overall general health. You will be asked these questions again when you arrive at the practice.
· You will be asked to thoroughly brush your teeth before arrival to the practice.
· Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment to allow for screening.
· Where possible, you may be asked to wait in your car or outside the practice until your scheduled appointment time, this is to limit the number of patients in our waiting areas. We aim to keep waiting times to a minimum.
· On arrival to the practice you will be required to text message the practice to inform you have arrived. The number to text message is 07938711160. Alternative instructions will be provided during your pre-appointment telephone call.
· Please ensure that you arrive in time. We will not be able to accommodate late arrivals due to the strict safety protocols and your appointment will have to be rescheduled.
· Appointments will be managed to allow us to maintain social distancing standards throughout the practice. We have been required to zone our diary booking system to manage various appointments. This means that there may be fewer options when arranging your appointment, but where possible we will do our upmost to accommodate your needs.
· You will be asked to use hand sanitizer on entering the practice.
· We will be taking and recording your temperature on arrival using a no-touch infrared thermometer.
· You may be asked to wear certain personal protective items including face masks. We will supply and dispose of these items for you.
· Perspex shield or ‘germ-guards’ have been installed along the reception desk in the waiting room.
· We ask that you always practice social distancing whilst in public areas and these areas will be marked-out accordingly.
· If possible, we will request that you do not bring a companion with you, so we are able to limit number of people within the practice for their safety. If you do require assistance, one of our friendly team will be happy to help.
· You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer newspapers and magazines, since these items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
· Your journey through the practice will be guided and assisted by a patient coordinator.
· You are likely to see your dentist/hygienist/nursing staff and receptionists wearing additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
· Before any dental treatment you may be asked to rinse with a specific antiseptic mouthwash.
· We will be using special equipment to decontaminate the surgery between each patient to ensure a safe virus-free environment. All communal areas of the practice will be decontaminated regularly during the day.
· We have invested in commercial air extraction units to improve air quality and flow.
· Our patient toilet facilities will be limited for ‘absolute needs’.
· As much as possible we will make your journey as contactless as we can, therefore receipts and treatment plans will be emailed to you after your appointment. Contactless and card payments will be preferentially accepted. Any cash payments must be exact and in and sealed in an envelope.
· Certain review appointments, necessary follow-ups and initial consultations may be completed over the phone or by utilising video communications.
An infographic of your new patient journey can be found on our website:-
https://www.dentistry68.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-06-10-reopening-infographic-D68-1-1.pdf
We are constantly monitoring the ‘best practice policies and procedures’ and will continue to adapt our processes if we learn of further ways to ensure your safety and comfort during your dental care journey.
Personal Protective Equipment – PPE
Many common dental treatments have now been classified as aerosol-generating procedures (AGP’s) or non-aerosol-generating procedures (non-AGP’s). Aerosols are relevant to COVID-19 transmission since this may occur via both direct air-borne infection and indirect spread via contact with contaminated surfaces.
What does that mean? An aerosol generating procedure, or AGP, is a dental treatment where water from instruments, working at high speeds in your mouth, combines to produce a spray. This is controlled by the dental nurse with the suction equipment. This spray is why all dentists, hygienists and nurses wear uniforms, protective masks, visors and gloves, which they change frequently. It is also why you will have seen our dental nurses cleaning dental and non-dental surfaces in the surgery as you leave and carefully taking away all instruments for sterilisation.
Aerosols are relevant to COVID-19 transmission since this may occur via both direct air-borne infection and indirect spread via contact with contaminated surfaces. Many dental treatments are affected by aerosol generating procedures in particular the use of the high-speed dental drill, scaling of teeth with ultrasonic instruments and using a slow polishing drill. Even the combined use of the air and water spray-jet is considered an aerosol. A dental examination with minimised and careful separated use of the air-water jet would be a Non-AGP.
In order to perform any dental treatment we are required to wear enhanced PPE. During the Covid-19 crisis the cost of PPE has become heavily inflated. The cost of our PPE is not subsidised. We are beginning to see the cost of PPE reduce as supply chains begin to ease. However, PPE availability and ordering capacity is still limited and costs of all PPE remain high.
The price of PPE per patient prior to Covid-19 for Non-AGPs = £0.16 and AGPs = £0.33. During the pandemic the price of PPE has risen, Non-AGPs = £1.71 and AGPs = £38.60. These figures are average market prices excluding all capital and running costs.
Regrettably, the practice has to consider these additional costs. A supplemental patient charge will be applied to the type of treatment required i.e. Non-AGP @ £2.50 and AGP @ £25.00 for private patients of the practice. Each month these supplemental charges will be reviewed and reduced when possible. We hope that the level and cost of PPE will begin to significantly fall as supply and demand is met and our alert level further decreases.
Our reception team will be in contact with you regarding your next appointment.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email the practice at info@dentistry68.co.uk or visit our website www.info@dentistry68.co.uk.
Again, we would like to thank you for your understanding and patience during these unprecedented times and we very much look forward to seeing you soon.
Stay safe.
Dentistry@68
Richard Morgan and the entire Dentistry@68 Team
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