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.

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

I read that in Scotland NHS dental care can resume from 1 November? That might change depending on what’s announced shortly though.

I’m an NHS patient at a mixed surgery, and have been in to have a new mouthguard made. My friend who’s at the same surgery - also NHS patient - called in because her daughter had toothache and they were seen the same day, that was back in July.

For both my appointments (impressions and fit) I had to go through a Q&A with reception in the morning, had temperature taken on arrival, and no waiting room, the nurse brought me in the door, which was locked, then took me straight into the treatment room. Mask worn until I was in the chair, and again on the way out.

[Habbyhadno]

I'm having a right mare with my teeth, one huge filling fell out of a molar, so I can't eat that side and the other side I've got a tooth that has started to crumble so I'm terrified of munching there too much as well. The private dentist can't see me until the end of November and the NHS one told me to call back daily in case an appointment comes up, so frustrating that I can't get in anywhere at all.

[Madcats]

I went to the hygienist today. I had my temperature checked and asked to wash my hands on arrival. There were 4 people in waiting room for the dentist (definitely 1, possibly 2 working).

Hygienist has been seeing patients since June, wearing a mask and visor, but is only allowed to used hand tools. Also I was offered a drink at the end, but had to swallow (spit drain thing was out of bounds).

It felt safe, but I am not sure I've paid £70 before!

I do worry that some people are going to have big problems with their teeth and gums if they go 12-18 months without being seen.

[ragged]

this should be the next big story that journalists pick up. "How many teeth were lost" due to covid controls.

[Elieza]

Thanks @MilkLady02

It looks like you are allowed to do more in England than they are in Scotland!

I will be happy when I get this filling finally drilled and filled. There is no word on when that will be though as it’s not considered an ‘emergency’ despite the toothache since March!

Sigh.

[Bickles]

Information doesn’t filter down from the CDO in England! “Prof” though she is, she’s hiding in her nice safe office.
We had a document in August and no changes done then.
Enjoy!
www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/06/C0704-dental-transition-to-recovery-sop-28-august-2020.pdf

[AFireInJuly]

I think because they now have safety procedures in place a lockdown shouldn’t make any difference to service. Thé reason for closing all dental surgeries before was that they didn’t know how to prevent infection spreading and they now seem confident that they do.

[Polkadotties]

My practice is half private and half NHS. I use the private dentist, I have had a check up with the dentist and a hygienist visit. My OH uses the NHS dentist, he has been told no check ups only emergencies until at least next year

[opalescent]

'm' was a typo 🤣

[opalescent]

This is all very reassuring. Bickles what information is filtering down from the CDO about practice in the event of lockdown m?

[Bickles]

Oh and triage done pre appointment.
Anyone with Covid symptoms rebooked and if they had pain they would be sent to a hot hub (dental school). Our practice was a cold non AGP hub by end of April though so most people are sorted now.

[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.

[MilkLady02]

Post at 10:33 for @Elieza

[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]

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.

[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!

[xxxviii]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Chloemol]

Mine is seeing people as normal

[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.

[dingledongle]

Is a second lockdown 'inevitable' ?

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