Not sure what to do about booked dental check ups.

[HappydaysArehere]

Got two consecutive routine appointments for the dentist and hygienist next week. I’m 78/9 and trying to do the right thing. Would you cancel?

You are supposed to and might find that the dentist is disappointed that you've turned up against government advice.

Why are you ignoring the advice?

Yes unless you have a reason that you need to get dental treatment.
You shouldn't be going out at all at that age! It's for your own safety.

I'd ring the dentist and ask what they recommend. My 'routine' dental appts are critical to the condition of my teeth due to a complicated history, my dentist has already said she'll prioritise patients like me in the coming months. It's all so uncertain and the best thing to do is ask directly.

DH had a check up booked for today and has cancelled.

I have a routine check up and called the dentist and they said its business as usual. Iwill have to pay for a missed appointment if I don't turn up.

It's oh so simple.
Is the activity essential?
Yes it's essential, you go
No it's not essential, you don't
So, a dental abscess you go
A routine check up you don't

I have a booked dentist appointment at the beginning of April. It isn’t totally essential (ie I don’t have toothache) but there are some issues which I would like to get looked at

If it's routine and you're not aware of any issues I'd cancel the dentist.

I'd certainly cancel the hygienist.

I had a dental appointment yesterday and asked this very question: it's business for usual for them, as everything is sterilised between patients as a matter of course. HOWEVER, they also said for older patients they are seeing a lot of routine appointment cancellations.

I would cancel, not so much for the being-in-the-dentist-chair part, where everything will be sterile, but for being out & about unnecessarily.

Yes, cancel. I'm desperate for a tooth extraction so maybe I'll get your appointment (in what will probably be the safest place in my life right now as I work in a school).

I had exactly the same conversation as @Daisydoesnt with my dentist yesterday.
She said worst case scenario they would move to emergency appointments only, but will carry on as long as possible trying to be normal.

My OH is a dentist and both he and all the hygienists and nurses are really worried about the next few months as they are all self employed and if patients cancel, they don't get paid. they all have mortgages and families to support.

If I had a dental appointment, given that my dentist always wears gloves, and a mask and the whole place stinks of the disinfectant they wipe everything down with (!), I would consider it one of the safer places to be right now!

I received an email from my dentist yesterday - it’s business as usual.
However, if I had an appointment at the moment I wouldn’t be going.

Interested in this thread. I am due to go for an extraction and first stage of an implant in early April. I guess I will ring them a few days before to check their policy

My son has an appt next tues to have his braces removed. I am thinking this should still go ahead as from my understanding leaving braces on too long can also cause issues? It could be months with the backlog otherwise. I imagine they can keep hygiene to a high level somewhere like that, they wear masks anyway I think also?

I cancelled mine. I'm not at high risk, but I've got family in long term isolation and I'm their only link to the outside world.

Well I'm taking DD for her brace assessment tomorrow. It's not like the orthodontist is going to be called away in coronavirus work. I actually keeping heathy teeth is important at this tricky time. They may discover you need some treatment.

I'm going to my appointment on Thursday, but I'm in intermittent pain and need a piece of equipment made for me. I'm not sure that I'd go just for a check-up or clean.

Give them a call and ask.
They may have a policy that says you shouldn't attend.
Do you drive?
Or would you need to get public transport?

Luckily mine isn't due for a few months yet BUT my 2 yearly optician appointment reminder has just come through. I'm not arranging that one just yet.

My dentist is within the same building as my doctors surgery who has told people not to go in basically at all