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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

When are dentist reopening? Any ideas?

43 replies

FridayAddams · 05/05/2020 13:38

I was wondering when dentists will open again. I know they are open for emergencies, but only for severe, life threatening ones. When do you think they will go back to routine procedures?

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Chrisinthemorning · 05/05/2020 13:39

July is my guess. The Chief Dental Officer indicated likely after the end of June on her last webinar.

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ConnieDoodle · 05/05/2020 13:41

My friend is a practice manager. They are basically pulling out teeth where normally they would treat the tooth as pulling is safer for the dentist. So i wouldnt be rushing to them unless in great pain.

Im amazed dentists, on their full salaries, are not being slated on mumsnet for not working tbh...

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RoryGilmoree · 05/05/2020 13:44

@ConnieDoodle but regardless of their salaries how can they do full time work? They require full PPE, to the level that icu need because they do aerosol generating procedures and work in the mouth so therefore they can't unless it's an emergency. The amount of PPE they'd need is insane for regular patient numbers. Plus the risk to the dentists themselves is huge if they work without it. I don't blame the GDC for not letting their dentists be at such high risk on the frontline unless for emergency treatment.

I'm not a dentist but I don't see why they should be slated..

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FridayAddams · 05/05/2020 15:16

@Chrisinthemorning that sounds like a long time from now, but it's understandable. I hope my teeth will be fine until them, I don't have to have any out but we were treating some. Sad to hear it could be still 6-7 weeks from now.

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FridayAddams · 05/05/2020 15:17

Will they need PPE end of June? How will they reopen otherwise?

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bengalcat · 05/05/2020 15:20

Ok I can hold out until June / July - miss going to the dentist / hygienist but totally understand them now functioning as their procedures are AGP’s ( aerosol generating procedures ) .

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Chrisinthemorning · 05/05/2020 15:39

Full salaries !
I am self employed and private and am earning nothing. I only work 2 days so earn under 50k, I may get something in June from the self employed scheme. If full time and do over 50k, they will get nothing. Only NHS practices are still being paid.
Yes we will need full PPE including FFP3 masks, gowns etc if we are going to do aerosol generating procedures - basically anything with a drill. If it isn’t available because hospitals need it more, we won’t be going back.

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FridayAddams · 05/05/2020 18:15

@Chrisinthemorning how long can the country be without routine dentistry from your point of view?

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Chrisinthemorning · 05/05/2020 18:40

Routine dentistry should start again once it is safe to do it. First get community numbers as low as possible by continuing lockdown.
Then we will need a lot of testing- both the test and contact trace and a quick test that can be used before treating the patient.
Also we’ll need to take temperatures and do questionnaires to check patients are asymptomatic and have full PPE including FFP3 masks. We will have to pass the costs of increased PPE and cleaning time on to patients.

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FridayAddams · 05/05/2020 19:56

@Chrisinthemorning the June date seems pretty optimistic, and I think this must be so hard on private practices.

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480Widdio · 05/05/2020 23:53

I phoned my dentist today as a tooth fell out at gum line.He can only give me antibiotics and pain relief,I cannot visit him,he said he has no idea when he will reopen (Private Surgery).

If I do need to be seen he said to call 111 who will direct me to one of the urgent surgeries that have opened and who have the full PPE.

I hate it,so fingers crossed root doesn’t get infected.

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TeacupDrama · 06/05/2020 00:05

According to WHO right now being a dentist is the most dangerous job as work about 30cm from patients mouth and nose for prolonged periods if a patient has covid a dentist is more at risk than doctors or nurses in ICU as much closer to patient for longer, so until there are enough N95masks for the dentist, hygienist and dental nurse to wear a new one for each patient seeing 250patients per day , dentistry will not be back, maybe afterwards dentistry won't be treated as Cinderella service but I have grave doubts, very glad I took early retirement

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TeacupDrama · 06/05/2020 00:06

I meant 25 patients a day

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Fairineouf · 06/05/2020 02:39

I keep reading these threads hoping for a glimmer of good news about dentists being able to get hold of ppe. I had a temp crown fitted just before lockdown - option was have the tooth out or pay a lot of money for a crown. I borrowed money and chose the crown. Now look is likely I'll end up losing the tooth and the money - guessing it's unlikely this temp crown will last another 8 weeks.

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MissAnanke · 06/05/2020 04:27

Spoke to my dentist on Thursday, he said it will be 5 weeks before he will be open for extractions and even then that could change.

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googlepoodle · 06/05/2020 05:23

@Chrisinthemorning will they pass the costs on to us? I’m on a monthly dental plan and was due a six month check up shortly before lockdown and it didn’t happen. So I’ve kept paying my monthly fee as I’m sure many others have. So we are overpaying already for care we aren’t receiving. I’m happy to do this as I have a fab dentist but I would be annoyed if I had to pay even more.

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PurpleDaisies · 06/05/2020 05:33

Im amazed dentists, on their full salaries, are not being slated on mumsnet for not working tbh...

Because well informed mumsnetters have read how risky dental procedures are to dentists right now.

Don’t let that stop a good dentist bashing thread though.

I’m getting really fed up of these-teacher bashing, gp bashing, dentist bashing...
Who is next?

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Chrisinthemorning · 06/05/2020 06:22

Who pays for the improvements to cleaning and PPE if not the patient? We don’t get government funding.
For a check up it won’t be much or maybe anything, it won’t need much in the way of enhanced PPE. It will be the treatments eg fillings that need enhanced PPE. Even then we are probably only talking £10 per patient appointment- our fillings are £100 anyway.
I am not going back to work until schools are fully back- my parents are over 70- so expecting it to be September before I work again anyway.

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FridayAddams · 06/05/2020 08:20

I was having deep cleaning done every 3 months before covid. My last was luckily in March, so was hoping to have my normal dentist open in July. A practice in my area announced they will open on May 18th, so was wondering if they have equipment.

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FridayAddams · 06/05/2020 08:22

Don’t let that stop a good dentist bashing thread though. the thread wasn't meant to be dentist bashing. I had started a treatment and was wondering when practices will reopen and since I don't work for one had no idea.

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Torvean · 07/05/2020 04:18

I can underststand not seeing routine patients. However i had an infection in a tooth. I had to have 2 lots of antibiotics. 2 weeks after the 2nd lot my tooth snapped. My dentist said i had to use temporary filling kits you get at the chemist and to use anti bacterial mouthwash. They wont refer me to get seen til ive had a further 2 courses of antibiotics or if i get an abcess.
I find the idea of 4 courses of antibiotics to be ludicrous when there's Corona virus going round. And if i need painkillers i have to see my gp....
He said that they were expecting to reopen in 2-3 weeks. When there will be an influx of people who have had to do DIY dentistry

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Oblomov20 · 07/05/2020 04:36

I too can't understand why dentists can't work. Or some of them. Not for routine. Not for someone wanting to take their 2 kids for their annual checkup. But anyone in pain. Should have been seen. Surely SOME PPE could have been got hold of? To cover emergencies, and those in pain.
I think it's been very poorly done. By dentists. I'm sure quite a few more people could have been seen, and their toothache sorted.

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Oblomov20 · 07/05/2020 04:40

"so until there are enough N95masks for the dentist, hygienist and dental nurse to wear a new one for each patient seeing 250patients per day , "

This is what I don't get. Thus attitude of.... there's not enough ppe to see 250 patients per day.

No of course there isnt. We get that. But you could have seen SOME. You could have got hold of some ppe and seen patients who were in bad pain.

But no. None has been done. Practically none. This is what I don't understand.

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TeacupDrama · 07/05/2020 06:35

Dentistry was banned from the top down, it was not really an individual dentist choice. in the weeks before lockdown it was almost impossible to get even ordinary masks. Dentistry is still only allowed at a specific dental centre set up in each health area.

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Chrisinthemorning · 07/05/2020 07:10

We were told we had to stop working by the Chief Dental Officer. The GDC and the CQC backed this up. We are not allowed to do any face to face at the moment or we could be struck off.
There is some Dentistry going on as Urgent Dental Care hubs have been set up. The NHS have been very disorganised and slow in getting these set up which has been frustrating for dentists.
Dentists do not want to be helpless when someone rings them in pain- but they are.