Dentist only doing aerosol on private patients?

[Crimples]

Our dentist has resumed aerosol procedures on private patients only stating that they are strictly instructed by the NHS to not provide this to NHS patients.
They’ve also increased the cost to take account of extra time and PPE required.
Surely if it’s a risk, it’s a risk, whether you pay big bucks or not?
YABU = It’s fair
YANBU= it’s a bit cheeky

@Bearnecessity interesting. Surely it would be fairer to make dental practices that have the ability to at least take a proportion of NHS aerosol cases to even out the load?
Glad you were able to find a trooper though 💪

@totalitarian I’m sure you would, it’s a crap situation.
Yes, I think these “10 minute tests” or suchlike, if they ever materialise, will be a game changer

My dentist is private & still not doing fillings or root canals, not since March. I may need to hunt around for a different private dentist, I guess.

My private dentist is not doing aerosol generating procedures at this time, so not just NHS not doing them

Bearnecessity, just to pick up on a few of your points because you make me cry!
I've been forced to down tools almost four months ago. We've received minimal funding, which just about covers 70% of my dentists wages. We've been informed as NHS we can't take advantage of the furlough scheme for auxiliary staff.
We didn't qualify for any of the grants available. We aren't retail and leisure.
We are high risk for transmission of the virus. Some of our staff have been forcibly redeployed to other areas of the NHS, including working in Covid centres at the height of the pandemic.
We have had patients on their hands and knees begging for treatment at our practice doors, and all we were allowed to do was hand out pills.
We've had many many complaints emails and abuse thrown at us.
I've had to postpone my business loan, tax bill and mortgage as I've only earned £59 in the last four months.
We've got a backlog of over 800 patients to deal with when we are finally allowed to reopen.
We have always received bad press. We work bloody hard. We are anxious. I'm currently having to start a redundancy process with my staff just now as I don't know how to pay their wages after August.
We have no control over treatment that happens at the hub.
We can still do simple extractions, but if an extraction looks like it is potentially tricky and may require drilling, we need to refer it on ( in answer to a previous comment).
It's predicted that approximately 51% practices in England will go bust.
Our government communication has been appalling, and our representative body ( BDA) been apathetic at best.
We found out via a tweet. Yes a TWEET!!!!!!! that we were allowed to open up two weeks ago to see urgent patients again.

We are all totally distressed and worked up about this.

Our dentist is private but we are still being asked for £49 to cover the extra PPE they are having to wear to carry our aerosol generating procedures, I presume the NHS won't find this and the surgeries cannot themselves and maybe patients wouldn't be able to either so they're saying none rather than you can have them if you can afford to pay which would take it into the realms of a private service.

Oh! And do you know that the dentists in Greater Glasgow and Clyde were sent a threatening letter from their local dental adviser ( on behalf of chief dental officer) explaining that it was a criminal offence to do any aerosol procedures, and they could face a criminal prosecution?

I am sorry totalitarian but the staff at the emergency hub I attended last week were not wearing specialist PPE my dentist wore a standard face shield apron and gloves. The same that all sectors are wearing and having to pay for . My hairdresser doing exactly the same, school colleagues, carers, bar staff etc. Dentists are the only people I have heard complaining about this cost, sorry but this is my experience. Are you saying it is ok to leave people in agony because of money?

I live in England.

@totalitarian that is truly appalling 😞
please don’t be upset, clearly you’ve tried everything in your power and it’s the system that’s broken.
I feel bad about starting this thread now as I can see it’s nowhere near as straightforward as I first thought but it’s definitely increased my understanding of the problem.

@totalitarian I just want to send massive sympathy to you. My best friend is a dentist and in a similar situation-it’s just awful and appalling how many people just don’t want to see how high risk dental procedures are. The government’s support and guidance has been woeful.

This really isn’t dentists bring selfish or trying to cash in. Emergency dental work is still being carried out. Dentists want to work but they have to do it in a safe way. It isn’t a case of toughing it out or being braver.

Are you saying it is ok to leave people in agony because of money?

It isn’t money, it’s risk. And emergency treatment can still take place at hubs.

None of this is dentists’ fault. Getting your tooth drilled from half a metre away facing your dentist is nowhere near the same as getting your hair cut in terms of risk.

I'm not in England. "Normal PPE" which is a mask, visor and gloves prior to Covid cost 33p per operator. One each per dentist and nurse.
Those cost have surged to approx £38 each. However NHS are funding 10 of these per day. We used to see 120 patients in our practice, so operations vastly reduced.
If we want to do private aerosol procedures we need to supply ourselves with further FFP2/FFp3 masks as well as the visors and gloves. These cost approx £1000 to fund a fit testing session, on top of the enhanced cost of the masks themselves.
It's all a bit crazy at the moment. I know the prices will fall a bit over time.
The lack of guidance is very frustrating.

Of course it isn't appropriate for patients to be left in pain. Take it up with your mps, not your dentist. Not our doing

@totalitarian I was actually just thinking that, have never wrote to an MP before but this may sway me 😤
Hoping for a return to normal as swiftly as possible for your practice and others 💐
Thankfully Scotland appears to be heading in the right direction virus wise so let’s hope that’s not too far away now

Totalitarian...it is clear you care I have no wish to upset you the differences between English and Scottish systems is what it is. I lost half a large tooth on day 2 of Lockdown I have spent much of it in absolute agony and floods of tears for weeks and weeks not only from the tooth but from the shed loads of painkillers that have made me very ill from taking them for so long I was lucky enough to find a trooper of a dentist who wearing basic PPE had weighed up the risk and treated me anyway. I will always be grateful to her and the excellent dental nurse working alongside her. I hold them in the highest regard.

Crimples,

Thank you for your kind words, and I'm glad you've started this thread.

Bearnecessities -

Are you saying it is ok to leave people in agony because of money?

It's not ok, it awful. It's one of the most dreadful and upsetting things I've ever experienced in my entire career. I have no idea how on Earth you came to that conclusion from my posts?

Bearnecessity, sorry cross posted! 😀
Glad you got sorted!

The NHS have separate guidelines to private practice

And if you're in pain there are plenty of dentists and dental hospitals doing emergency treatment. I'm currently working in one right now so YABU

I was supposed to have work leading to a crown in March, my private dentist closed and cancelled the appointments. Last week they called me and I have two appointments booked. Yes it’s going to cost a lot but he’s been my dentist for 18 years now and has practice staff and his own family to support. I’ve paid my cleaner throughout lockdown & I will pay what it costs to have my tooth fixed. Our financial situation hasn’t changed due to COVID, other than spending less money as we haven’t been able to go out etc.

On of my relatives is a dentist and this period has been awful. When I went for my last appointment the staff (at a different practice to my relative) were really upset and worried about what was to come. I’m quite surprised you saw someone at the hub wearing minimal ppe to be honest- the ppe requirements for aerosol procedures are much greater. The guidance has made it financially really challenging for many dentists.

My dentist is providing normal service for emergency care , I had xrays and a tooth extraction last week but was offered root canal alternative - all NHS