Hi everyone. Apparently dentists are to reopen on the 8th June. However you will need to distance and follow strict hygeine procedure. i.e outdoor clothes left out of surgery area and collected when you leave, a one door in and one door out, face masks and other hygeine proceedures. Dentists are saying they may have to pass on the extra cost of £25 cost for the distancing proceedures to the customer. My Dentist is a small tiny practice with only one dentist not sure these practices can continue in the present changed NHS proceedures. So how do people like ourselves with health or disability problems deal with the changes especially as we are not being informed as to how this will effect us. I at present have mobility issues and last time I paid a careworker to take me by car , normally a ring & ride service can take you too but they are presently restricted. Any ideas on how we can manage this situation.?? if we need treatment.
A bit of interesting news : Hi everyone... - Lung Conditions C...
A bit of interesting news
From a personal point of view I think it will have to get so bad, I need to be seen in hospital, no other way I can see it happening, in a normal dentists.
Ha ha I had visions of going in naked or just with underwear and that wouldn't be very hygienic at all. May have to start wearing eye masks as well not sure my eyes would wish to view the scenery.
All joking aside, my dental surgery only has one door so short of banging out the brickwork and fitting another door... on top of that could only have 2 people max in the waiting room its really not that large.
Could be that my dental surgery won't be able to open, unless they hire alternative accommodation.
Difficult times.
Mines the same, unless they have a secret door I dont know about ! And the waiting room is small. Goodness knows when I'll be able to get the treatment I need.
My dental practice is not reopening. I had an email from it last week to that effect. I had a phone call from a receptionist last month to say that they don't anticipate reopening before September.
There was an article on the news this morning to say that most will stay closed as they can't obtain the PPE needed and/ or meet social distancing guidelines. Those that are opening will only be for emergency treatment such as extractions.
One dentist interviewed who is going to open said that he will only be allowing one patient at a time into his surgery and will have to clean everything before allowing the next patient in. He said that is likely to mean that he will only see 5 patients per day.
Dentist in Scotland are not opening on that date.
It seems also that dentists themselves were not told that they were supposed to open.
My optician has sent an email to say only appointments available for those who have had changes in their eye sight or for emergencies.
Thanks for that info , I have to have eye tests in a few months time & dental care next month so hope they inform me of how it affects my appointments . Better try enquiring now as they will be busier due to distancing slowing up the process.
One of our local dental practices posted on Facebook that they only found out about the opening date the same time as we all did. They donated all their PPE to the hospital as they were requested to do. They are having difficulty replacing it in sufficient quantities to be able to open. They are doing everything they can to get ready for opening but cannot give a date for this and it certainly won't be next week.
I haven't heard anything from my own dentist yet so don't know what will happen with them.
Thank God my husband and I are only waiting for routine checkups and they have already been postponed from April to September.
We'll all have to wait and see what transpires.
xx Moy
Thanks for the post Katieoxo60, I don't no about disabilities and acess and stuff, but I'll let my sister's foster mum know cos she had 2 do 2 fillings on my sister her self cos when she rang there dentist he told her its not bad enough 4 the hospitle and where 2 get the filling stuff and what 2 do so relly she'd like my sister 2 see a proper dentist asap 2 fix her tooth properly.
I hope it all gets sorted 4 u soon though x
Goodness me Charlotte, that’s terrible. There should be emergency dental care open. Hope your sister gets an appointment soon.
Thinking of you too. Xxx😘🥰🌈
They sed cos there's no sweling and the pain is not imposible 2 manige then she wasn't an emergency. And they culdnt even see emergencies cos they had no masks and stuff. So the dentist told Mrs D how 2 do it over the phone. She had 2 order the filling stuff on the internet😂. Amazin.x
Wow! I’ve heard it all now. Xx😂😘
Well that takes the biscuit as they say. I realise my dentist mainly only does regular customers but we do have a stand in dentist for emergency near by who is very good and their surgery is larger and more modern. I could not do my own you have my best wishes on this its a terrible situation and only emphasises that this cannot be the way of the future . Hope your family as got over this shock. The internet like many other things does not meet all need does it? Services usually require physical interaction.
DIY dentistry - oh dear . X
Emergency dentistry at the moment is only taking teeth out. Treatments such as fillings are not being done because of the need to use drills and water spraying equipment which would produce a great risk of spreading the virus. As we know, many people may have the virus but be symptom free.
Good luck and thank you for reply.
I currently have a broken tooth, when it first broke slightly at the side few weeks ago I was told to wait till the dentists reopen for treatment. However few days ago the temporary filling fell out and the whole of the inside of my tooth fell out to, so I now just have a shell of a tooth nothing else. I called 111 and still have to wait till next Thurs to see an emergency dentist for an extraction, wasn't offered any antibiotics or pain relief in the mean time. Luckily I have my own at home.
That seems a long wait , but dental treatment is always a problem in an emergency. Not that easy normally unless you see a regular dentist. The government seem to think we can just shut everything down and just set a reopen date to suit the schedule the coronavirus has brought about. Hope you can get your treatment done with no problem on the day . Take care.
I have no answer to that Katie but hope there is a solution. We’ve yet to hear what our dentist will do. Pete has a crown that’s come off but it’s not urgent.
Wishing you well. Xxxx
Like most other things this government has done, dentists themselves weren't told about this in advance as far as I know and therefore haven't been able to make adequate changes etc. Just like the announcement that all hospital staff will have to wear masks all the time... announced out of the blue without informing hospitals.
My daughter has dentist friends who are all trying to apply for hospital jobs because they don't believe that community dentistry is a viable career any more! We, in the UK, are already known for our appalling teeth, now it will be even worse. The feeling among young dentists is that this is the end of NHS dentistry.
This seems to be England only. Often when the government or the media talk about things happening in the country, they mean England. I did hear that some dentist surgery that are reopening will ask people to wait in their car until called in for their appointment. What about people who don't have a car or who travel by public transport. Since I've been here, two teeth have fallen out and I'm fearful for at least two others. As much as I avoid dentists unless it's absolutely necessary, I think I'm going to have to pluck up the courage and go, whenever I get back, and whenever they reopen. That's if I can face dealing with the journey to get there. When I eventually get home I think I won't want to travel for quite some time!
Yes you are right it is England, and some are asking you to remain in your car while they test your temperature and issue masks ect . I would say maybe to avoid unless absolutly necessary. But that defeats the issue of the problem of visiting the dentist & keeping your mouth hygiene upto date. As well as the NHS saying they want you to use the services, with out a thought for weather the dentist can provide the service given the current need for extra expenses. Its not straight forward is it ??
I haven't heard that but if my dental practice was opening, staying outside in the car wouldn't be possible as the surgery is on a busy road, double yellow lined on each side. Like a lot of other things at the moment, the whole thing is a mess and I don't see many solutions in the near future. My husband and I were both half way through extensive dental treatment when the lock down began. Fortunately at the moment neither of us is having problems and I have my fingers permanently crossed that none arise.
I think nearer the time that your practice will contact you to advise on what they are doing. As for routine eye tests, I wouldn't go to one even if opticians are open, but I haven't heard anything about them.
Thank you for advise
I hope things work out OK for you, Katie and that if you aren't able to visit your dentist or optician that it doesn't result in problems for you.
Best wishes, Carole.
I wonder actually if, dentistry will no longer be carried out without a certificate saying you have been tested, / vaccinated. In turn the dentist and staff to display their certificates 
I would be very happy with that
Me too
If we have been shielding and not exposed to the virus, there is no reason to get tested. As for vaccinations, that seems to be a long time into the future.
No one outside our home would know that and we would not be able to prove it. I certainly wouldn't trust a stranger that might say I have been shielding so I don't need testing nor carry infection so I am safe drill away. I certainly would want to see proof from the dentist and staff at the dental surgery. anti body certificate or vaccine certification even with that there are no guarantees.
All I would say is that I am not a stranger to my dentist nor him to me. I have the same trust relationship with him as I have with my GP.
I hope that you do get the proof you want as and when you next see your dentist.
I'm not really worried about the dentist as he always wears mask and gloves any way and I suspect so will his assistant have to now and the receptionist, if only it was as simple as just one on one.
My dentist and surgery staff already wear masks in the treatment room it only means the receptionists need to do so in my opinion. With the best will in the world we can only try to keep hygiene levels has good as possible , the virus will always be there for the forseeable future. I am only concerned about having further problems due to lack of maintainance care a bit like the gadgets at home , if you don't service the boiler it can give off fumes that make you ill.
yes its a concern. I have a dodgy front door lock at the moment but I have been delaying getting it fixed for over a week now. I guess at some point I am going to have to risk it.
Definately so , thats a security risk. Good luck with finding someone
Do you think certificates would work? Because one might be true at the outset but this virus may not be erradicated so the staff like ourselves could become infected again and again over a period of time. Think it still has to be personal risk choice and I would rather see my normal dentist who has been treating me for many years plus there are no stairs . Of course the dentist as a choice to as to whether he wants to risk treating patients who might be carriers ect. Its a complex matter not just a case of what the rules suggest.
I agree, Katie. Certificates are a waste of time in my opinion. I assume that in time we will be seen again by the dental practice with which we are registered, but, as you say, the whole situation is complex and I have no idea when normal dental services will resume. The coronavirus has had a huge impact on every aspect of normal life.
This virus has had a huge impact without some people even seeing it that way. Its not going to be just a case of normal service will resume on the date in the news. Stay well & take care x
there are no guarantees for sure, but a certificate of vaccination or antibodies might help people feel more confident with contact, even a person wearing a mast and gloves if they are infected and up close, its a dodgy business.
I don't think the test to see you have it are helpful really.
You are right certificates might make people more confident that their services are as hygenic as is possible and the persons doing their care are taking the best precautions.
Hi, that's what I thought, but my dentist told me they can't go back yet because The British Dental Association say it's not safe yet. I have put a temporary filling in my tooth and I really need to see my dentist.
Thank you for letting us know whats in the news is not necessarily what is happening. Some people think these stories of people doing their own dentistry are fairy tales. When you are in pain from a filling fault you need to do something don't you ?? Hope you get dental treatment soon.
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