Why can’t dentists do fillings due to Covid?

[candle18]

I was at the dentist this week due to toothache in the back molar area. It has been filled before but she thinks it will need to be taken out and a deeper filling or root canal needed. I have an appt this week and she said it will take 2 hrs as they have to put on full PPE and I will only be able to get a temporary filling due to restrictions. I understand that drilling would be risky but don’t understand why putting in a temporary filling would be any safer than a normal one as they will have to drill old filling out.

They can. I had one just after we came out of lockdown which took about an hour as the anaesthetic wouldn’t take. She also said they are doing root canal treatments but they have to do them over more than one session as only offering one hour apt’s. She said the time limit is to do with how long they are comfortable wearing PPE.

I don’t know why a filling would take 2 hours. Mine would have been much quicker if the pain relief had worked on the first attempt rather than 4th!

Some are. I was in touch with about 10 recently. All private.

3: no fillings for anyone.
6: only filings for our regulars, we have 4 month backlog
1: will take me for a huge price. I am praying this filling will succeed & I won't need root canal. Could have been prevented with filing when I needed it, back in April.

Phone around OP if you can afford it.

Your dentist has probably left time to do a root canal treatment if necessary, rather than have the cost of 2 lots of ppe and another appointment. Also the room needs to be vacant for an hour after any aerosol treatment has been done and is probably including that time in the 2 hour slot.
I'm just guessing btw
Sounds like proactive planning to me, however, I'd make sure It was clear what treatment you'll be having before you start, without that how can you consent to treatment? I'm only saying that because you seem unclear what you're having done.

Our dentist said they are able to do 3 fillings a day so I assume there is a big backlog

@ Toothgenie, yes that’s reminded me, she did say that the room has to be left for an hour so that must be what she means by it all taking 2 hrs. I don’t think they’re allowed to do root canal either so it will be taking the old filling out, draining any infection etc then a temporary repair meantime. I just don’t understand why they can’t complete the treatment if the drilling bit has been done. They will do it privately but I think with cost of PPE etc it could work out very expensive.

Went for a check up last week. 2 extremely old fillings have fallen out. He told me to make an hours appointment and that he would be wearing full PPE and a very strange mask. More like a hazmat suit.
Got an appointment for 2 weeks time.
This is private and expensive.

My DH had a filling fall out in August. He got it refilled, but had to wait a few weeks and it was very expensive.