What will happen to dentistry when the inevitable second lockdown happens?

[opalescent]

Surely to god they won't suspend all but the most urgent treatment again.
Does anyone know what is happening with dental practices in local lockdown areas?

I really hope there is a better plan than last time. It was barbaric.

[quiteathome]

At my NHS dentist they are still only seeing urgent cases.

Unless you pay for private care that is it. And for private appointments there is a £35 sucharge.

I am looking for a more reasonable dentist

[Premiumbond]

NHS dentistry will continue as it currently is. It won't stop again.

[Gobacktothe90s]

My dentist still isn't seeing people.

[doctorhamster]

My dentist is still only doing emergency treatment so I imagine that will continue. Fuck knows when any of us will get a check up again! It's already been 11 months since me or my dc last had one.

[bumblenbean]

Mine is seeing ‘urgent’ cases - I’ve had a toothache for a while, not in agony and not an emergency but worried it will get worse as it has a huge filling in and dentist previously told me to keep close eye on it- and to my surprise they saw me. Really feel for those who can’t access dental care, it’s one of the worst pains.

Tbh I think a second full-scale national lockdown is unlikely (could be wrong of course!), but if there is one I guess it’s likely things will Pretty much shut down again. Nightmare

[MeadowHay]

My dentist is a mixture of NHS and private and they still won't see anyone who they don't seem urgent. Which is anyone with an issue basically. And even then there is a 4 week wait (I know because I secured an appt). My daughter is 2.5 and has only ever had 1 dental appt as she missed her second due one during lockdown. They told me in August they were hoping to start resuming booking routine appts for October onwards. Called them again this week and they bluntly advised they have "no plans to resume routine appointments". Like PP I am going to be looking for another dentist for her but there's not great availability of NHS dentists round here and we don't have a car so options are limited. How can a dentist have "no plans to resume routine appointments"?!

[teenagetantrums]

Mine are doing check ups as s new patient. But l have to wait till November. I guess it depends where you live. And I'm sure there will not be a second lockdown

[Danglingmod]

My dentist still isn't seeing anyone either. And I pay a bloody fortune monthly because there are ZERO NHS dentists in my city.

[madcatladyforever]

I'm getting my teeth done next week because I have no idea when I'll be able to see a dentist again and I'm not spending another 6 months with acute toothache unable to see a dentist like last time.

[GreyishDays]

Ours still aren’t doing aerosol producing procedures. So no fillings even. That’s our NHS ones. Private are.

[madcatladyforever]

Oh yes and I have to drive to Sussex from Somerset for affordable denstistry.

[dingledongle]

Is a second lockdown 'inevitable' ?

Only 2 cases per 100,000 in my area 🤷‍♀️

[hesaidshesaidwhat]

My dentist is seeing people as normal. I have an appointment in a few weeks and spoke to them last week to see if I could move it forward as I was worried about things shutting down again. They told me that they don't expect to shut down again as they are an emergency service. It's a private dentist though so perhaps that makes a difference.

[Chloemol]

Mine is seeing people as normal

[Bickles]

I don’t think we will shut again. We have put so much in place and have all the PPE.
Might have to go to emergencies only. We are doing routine now- exams and fillings - private practice.

[Bickles]

Oh and we’re in local lockdown but that doesn’t seem to make any difference. There was some talk that going to Covid level 4 would stop AGPs but it doesn’t seem to have.

[Madcats]

Bizarrely my dental hygienist has started to see regular patients, but not the dentist (for checkups).

We are in a low-covid county, and I am antisocial, so I am happy to attend.

[Elieza]

I’m still waiting to get a filling replaced that fell out the first day of lockdown. I e been back three times to have a blob of filling stuck over the hole but I still have a toothache.

I wish they’d start doing aerosol procedures so I can get it filled. Otherwise I’m going to have to pay privately as CV is dragging on.

[MilkLady02]

I can’t see it happening again. Last time practices had to close due to risk of spreading the virus through very risky procedures performed at close proximity. Once the NHS had established a new Standard Operating Procedure, PPE was directed to practices which were to be opened as urgent hubs. Lots of us volunteered to work at the hubs and more and more opened as the PPE supply increased. When all practices were allowed to open again, this SOP was implemented everywhere. Now that practices are running like this, as long as they can get the PPE they need, I can’t see why we would be closed again, I’m sure the government don’t want to be closing access to urgent healthcare again.
It’s only urgent cases due to restricted numbers of appointments available because once used, a surgery has to be left empty from 25 mins to 60 mins depending on the procedure, so this severely limits capacity.

[xxxviii]

What is going now in 'restriction' areas: can people in Leicester or Bolton get a filling?

[Elieza]

@MilkLady02 I take it you are in England? Can you advise what your hubs are actually doing now and what you’ve heard about what practices should be doing please?

In Scotland we have dental hospitals used as hubs however practices are now doing hub work. Apparently that’s just extractions and root treatments if you are in pain rather than fillings, and dealing with swelling etc.

Nobody up here is doing nhs fillings. Just curious as to what’s meant to be happening in England as it may differ from us up here.

I just wish they’d hurry up and get the appropriate PPE and extractor fans to keep us all safe so some semblance of normality can resume before small filings turn into major ones, which will cost more!

[MilkLady02]

Yes, in England, sorry, should have said! Hubs are taking referrals for things that can’t be done in practice, things we would normally refer like difficult wisdom tooth extractions, phobic patients/children that need sedation etc... Also seeing 111referrals of patients with no registered dentist.
Practices are following regulations from NHS, we have been told emergency/urgent only as that’s all we have room to do. I’m doing extractions, root canal, fillings, whatever is needed as long as it can be justified as being needed and I have space for it. If we have a drop in emergency calls, we will have room to see less urgent cases. But we are very restricted by the number of appointments we can provide per day, so have to triage the most urgent cases for those. It’s awful but no one can see a way around it right now.

[MilkLady02]

@xxxviii
There have always been hubs for suspected Covid patients with a dental emergency, so triaging and screening would be done in the same way, but if showing symptoms/living with suspected case etc, you may be directed to one of those. Otherwise screening should carry on as normal and be seen in practice if urgent dental need and not suspected Covid case. Not sure what actual advice practices in lockdown areas have received but that’s how things ran at the hubs during lockdown.

[MilkLady02]

Post at 10:33 for @Elieza

[Bickles]

I am working pretty much as normal now but only doing AGPs if really needed- obvious caries/ broken tooth/ pain. We have 2 surgeries per dentist so rotate for the fallow time although booking longer appointments for cleaning. We have FFP3 masks and gowns for AGPs.
We are also wearing FFP3 for older and vulnerable patients.
We aren’t charging extra for PPE or increased time taken either. We had put the fees up in March so we’re absorbing the rest.
Private practice, England.