Our dentist apt! Bit shocked.

[KettleWentBang]

Got there. They do temp. Because in the lady's words ' this thermometer is just so temperamental' we're doing wrists.
So myself and 2dcs wrist temp all said below 34! So clearly not that accurate.

The waiting room was full.

One family left a room and within seconds we were called in. My first thought was how have they cleaned etc but then just thought they prob came from a different room.
We all had our turn and as we walked out the dental assistant followed directly and called next person in. So clearly didn't have time to clean in the slightest.

I was lead to believe they would have to deep clean. Have long waiting lists as can only see a few people. The waiting room was so packed there were 2 families standing. The waiting room. Is very small.
It started to rain and get chilly so the receptionist closed all the windows.

Anyone else had similar experience
Fwiw I'm not worried about the virus as such, but I did feel un easy because there were lots of older generation in there too.

Our dentist still hasn’t reopened! I have an appointment in September booked in 2019 (I only have to have a check up every 2 years). Wouldn’t be surprised if it is cancelled

I agree OP, your dentist doesn’t sound good

no thats not right

were they wearing full ppe? my dsis is a dental nurse they clean between every appt only one in the waiting rom at a time

id complain personally

Not right. I am currently sat in my car outside the dentist as per policy. They will call me in when free. Told the room is getting cleaned

This sounds bonkers! My dentist has those air cleansing machines but we still have to call from the car in the car park, wait to be called in then go straight to the consultation room after cleaning/sanitising your hands. Masks on all the time other than for the appointment itself once you're in the chair. You barely see any other patients either in the waiting room or in the car park as they've spread everything out so much, so I imagine they're cleaning between appointments too.

@rainbowunicorn

Did you say something at the time?

This does not sound right at all. Our dentist ask you to phone from the car park and you are met my a dental nurse and taken straight to the room you are being treated. You never get near reception.

Same here and they only have a few appts a day where they use a drill or whatever so they can clean between those appts. At dses orthodontist they have to wait outside until they are called.

Definitely not ok and not normal, OP. I've been to the dentist a couple of times since November and our practice is very cautious. You wait outside the door to be called in, stand on the marked spot on the floor in reception for your temperature check then get sent to one of the waiting rooms where all but 2 chairs have been taken away. There is virtually no overlap with other patients waiting.
The practice rooms have signs on the door saying what time the room was last used and whether it has been cleaned yet. I feel very safe going there.

The flip side is they have drastically reduced the number of patients they can see and aren't open for routine NHS check-ups yet, only ongoing problems. I've had to pay privately for a filling that needs doing.

AIUI "deepclean" requires the room must be vacant for x hours (air filtering) before safe for cleaners to enter and deepclean.

But AIUI deepclean is only required following "aerosol " treatments on the previous patient , like drilling cavities. It would not follow a simple inspection.

We had them this Tuesday. Filled in a COVID form over the weekend to confirm no symptoms. We were called just before to say they were running late and then when arrived stayed outside waiting to be called. Once called put masks on and went in. By our dentists room there were two chairs for me and DS to wait when DD (12) went in by herself. She then waited on the chair (no one else in waiting room, reception were there behind glass and wearing masks) when me and DS were done. Masks were worn when not having treatment. Paid and then exited (one way so entry and exit were different)

Omg - that is the exact opposite of my dentist. Not allowed into the building until your appt time has arrived. Temperature checked, gelled and masked (using their masks) on arrival, even children. Coats and bags go into a box outside of the dentists room. 10 mins between appts for cleaning, max of one person (or person and child) in waiting room, and knly allowed to use the waiting room if you have back to back appts (ie hygenist and dentist). Single use sellophane on the card machine which is changed between patients. I honestly could not have felt safer.

Dh recent dental appointment they charged him an extra £35 for ppe he is an nhs patient but they told him he has to pay privately for fillings at the minute and extra for ppe. It cost £150 in total for a small filling and the ppe charge. Absolute joke!

At our dentist we have to wait in our car until called in so only one person in reception at a time. There are spots on the floor we have to stand on where our temperature is taken. We then stand on that spot until called to go through to the actual room.

I've been a few times recently as had a problem tooth. Mine have been very good to be fair. Call when outside. They let you in you put stuff in a box , sanitise hands and have temp done. I was only person in waiting room. One of the receptionists was cleaning round as i was there. They did seem to leave a gap between each person so i can assume were cleaning and windows were open.

@Northernsoulgirl45

I can't even get an appointment. My 6 month check up was due last March. Rescheduled September than cancelled. Rescheduled January than cancelled. Now booked April. Over 18 months without a check up. They fi seem very COVID secure though.

Seem my dentist 8 times since July ( 3 broken teeth) Still got two more appointments 👍

I'm going today, but have to pay privately for filling and additional PPE.

I feel a bit more relaxed than when I went for my extraction in January as this time I guess the dentist, nurse and receptionists may have at least been vaccinated.

Ironically, the first case of Covid in my town was one of the dental staff - they’d been to a massive conference in Vancouver.
Having said that, their policies are excellent. You stay in your car until your appointment. Sanitiser and mask on entering, together with temperature check and screening. Dentist puts a new gown and mask on before entering the room.
Judging by how quickly we can get in when making an appointment I guess many people are staying away.

I wouldn't worry too much about deep-cleaning.

The biggest risk at a dentist is the dentist.
Second biggest risk, dental assistant.

Only other notable risk - the reception area - if it's busy and unventilated....

Scientists believe that covid mainly spreads from asymptomatic carriers via aerial droplets. The risk of catching it from a surface is low to non-existent - if you're worried, just wash your hands when you leave!

Ours is great.
You wait outside to be called in when the previous person goes.
They take your temperature.
They have a spare room so they swap between them leaving plenty of time to clean between them.
They're doing check ups as well as emergency.
I've been really impressed.

And he very kindly repaired my tooth which fell apart at the very start of the first lockdown, which I'm not sure whether legally he should have, but personally I am absolutely in his debt as I knew people who had raging toothache for 3 months and still couldn't get an appointment. I phoned and he told me to come straight down and he'd do what he could to make it safe. He didn't charge me for it either as he couldn't get the card machine working.

It was like a military operation when I went to mine!
You had to wait outside the (glass) door until summoned into reception, then you had sanitise hands and pop on a pair of gloves before having your temp checked. You were then allocated a waiting room as they have turned 3 treatment rooms into extra waiting rooms, I was in the main big waiting room but only 3 others in there and we were miles apart from each other. Then you had to take your coat off and leave it on a hook outside the treatment room before going in for your appointment.

Nope no tardis type thing.
Just wave in the window when outside. They then let you in. We're were 15 min early as dd3 needed the loo otherwise we'd if waited outside Anyway..
I had 2 apts cancelled last Yr and have wisdom pain so when they rang to say they're doing routine apts for the family I got it checked then..

As I said I'm not worried about catching it myself. And I'm 99%sure the kids had last March before testing.. Inc the covid toes.
I was more worried for the older ones in there