Some dental practices in Andover are permitted to open for face-to-face treatments.
This comes as a survey from Portman Dental Group showed 2 in 5 people suffering tooth pain during lockdown have performed ‘DIY dentistry’.
This includes the bursting of absesses, pulling out loose teeth and makeshift filling arrangments using baking powder and superglue.
Following updated legal advice regarding the provision of urgent dental treatment, New Street Dental Care have opened their surgery for urgent clinical care. The team are also continuing to provide remote telephone triage and advice services.
Dental surgeries continue to be unable to provide routine dental care.
Urgent dental care includes:
* Management of infection
*Trauma
*Management of pain
*Uncontrolled bleeding
*Concerns regarding oral cancer
A statement from Dr Julian Chen BDS on the New Street Dental Care website reads:
We are delighted and proud to announce that we have installed Air Purification System in the form of Radic8 Viruskiller, so please feel assured that all dental staff will, in addition, be using personal protective equipment (PPE) in line with current recommendations and evidence for our clinical procedures; this is to keep you and us safe. We will also be following an updated attendance policy in line with legislation and guidance to maintain social distancing and in cases where this would be impossible.
We will be in touch with patients who have experienced a dental problem during lockdown who are on our priority list, however, if you feel that you require urgent dental treatment, please do contact us in the first instance.
We currently have a closed-door policy whereby patients can be seen by appointment only.
If we feel that you are at risk of having possibly been infected with COVID-19, even if you are asymptomatic, we will respectfully request you to delay booking any appointments with us for at least one month.
A few things have changed for your future dental appointments and we would like to explain them to you below:
*Before attending, a dentist or a member of our team would have had a telephone consultation with you, where possible, to assess your problem in order to plan your treatment before you attend.
*We will send you all the forms remotely via our portal, so please fill these out and send them back before your appointment. Please call us if you need assistance with these.
*Whatever mode of transport that you decide to arrive by, please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment and call us on 01264 301301 to let us know you are outside and remain where you are.
*Please leave all unnecessary and valuable belongings in your car or at home, you can take only your mobile phone, payment method and essential items such as medication in with you to reduce possible contamination, additional items cannot be taken into the surgery.
*Please attend your appointment on your own unless you need a chaperon and leave anyone else in the car or outside.
*At the appropriate time, you will be asked to go to the front door and wait for a member of our team to open the door, as there will not be a need for you to touch the door. All our team members will be wearing different degrees of PPE so don’t be alarmed if they look a bit different to normal.
*Please try not to touch anything!
*Once inside please stand on the marked area and a member of our team will check your temperature. If your temperature is above 37.8°C, you will be unable to enter the practice and will be asked to return home and self-isolate as per current government guidelines.
*You will be given an application of hand gel to sanitise your hands.
*You will then be accompanied to the surgery where you will be welcomed by your dentist and nurse, (they will be wearing additional face and body coverings to ensure your safety, please feel reassured they are the same friendly bunch, happy to see you!) We apologise in advance for the necessary reduction in social interaction that this will necessitate.
*Please do take a seat and then when you are happy to proceed, a mouth rinse will be offered to you.
*You will then be given glasses to protect your eyes and a paper bib applied as usual.
*Your dentist will then explain everything to you during your treatment.
*Once your treatment is completed, you can pay at reception as normal, please just keep two meters away from the reception desk and step forward only to pay, the key pad for card payments will have a protective cover and if you bring cash, please put it in a wipeable bag.
*Step back again and then you will be asked to rebook for your next appointment (if you are shielded or a vulnerable patient, we will call you to rebook your next appointment).
*You will then be accompanied by a member of the team who will open all the doors for you to exit.
Please try and use the toilet at home before your appointment and refrain from using the toilet at the practice if at all possible. We do understand however, in the case of an emergency this is not always possible.
All steps will be confirmed via text, email and explained on the telephone as well as explained to you on arrival to make sure you understand what is required.
You may notice the additional technology above your head in your dental chair with the name “Viruskiller” on it! It does exactly that and purifies the room continuously to help stop the spread of viruses as well as removing chemicals in the air and helps eradicate triggers for hay fever! The patented, core technology reduces airborne and droplet virus exposure and has been tested against Coronavirus DF2, Adenovirus, Influenza Virus and Poliovirus with a 99.99999% kill rate. We also have a unit in the reception area too, just look for the blue light!
If you are an existing or new patient and require an appointment or simply need help or advice, please contact the practice on 01264301301.
Do let us know if you are concerned or if you are confused with our new system. We ask for you to please be patient with our team throughout these challenging times and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support and understanding.
Stay safe,
from Julian and all of your dental team at New Street Dental Care
