As you must be aware by now, dental practices are not allowed any face to face consultations with their patients in these strangest of times. We are all restricted to the three A's : Advice - no face to face treatment at all, so consultation by phone calls or video calls only Analgaesics - pain killers
Anti-biotics - only where absolutely necessary.
Dentists are in the highest risk category for contracting the coronavirus, even greater than nurses or paramedics, hence the requirement to shut down. They literaly work within inches of their patients' faces!
If you require further treatment you will need to be referred to Urgent Dental Care hubs, where the use of appropriate PPE for the prevention of coronavirus spread can be utilised. Frustratingly, these hubs are not yet up and running, despite the fact that we were advised they should be available for referral by the end of last week. Acquiring appropriate PPE appears to be an issue - you will find the staff at these hubs wearing full surgical gowns and a more specialised mask than what you have been used to seeing the dentist using. Please also expect to be questioned over the phone, and possibly again on your arrival, regarding your recent medical history. We apologise that we cannot see our own patients in person. Getting the correct PPE has been an impossible task, in addition to which it is probably more important for that PPE to go to the frontline. Some of our spares have already been donated to where it can hopefully be put to good use.
We will be up and running again as soon as we get given the green light! In the meantime we can only apologise for the less than perfect alternative that we can now offer.
In the meantime, don't forget to keep brushing and flossing to keep the bacteria at bay!