On 18 June 2020, the First Minister announced the move into Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s route map out of the COVID-19 pandemic. This enables NHS Dental Practices throughout the country to begin to re-open to provide urgent dental care.
Over recent weeks NHS Fife has been working closely with all practices providing NHS dental services to assist them to prepare to re-open safely, and ensure that vital personal protective equipment (PPE) is available to all staff that requires it. As some practices will be required to make adjustments to the physical environment, not all dental practices will be open initially.
As the phased reopening of dental practices commences, patients will notice considerable differences in the way that services are delivered.
Ahead of an appointment, the practice team will contact patients to advise on the changes to how services are delivered in their individual practice. On arrival at the practice patients may be asked to wait outside the building or in their car until they are called to enter. Once inside, patients will also be asked to cleanse their hands thoroughly with alcohol hand gel.
In many practices new perspex screens have been installed to provide additional protection for patients and practice staff. Patients will also be asked to attend alone unless the appointment is for a child or a person with additional needs who requires support.
To maintain social distancing, practices will be making very limited use of reception areas and these will be wiped down and disinfected much more regularly. Ahead of treatment patients may be asked to put any personal belongings in a box whilst your treatment takes place.
Perhaps the most visible change will be that the dental team caring for patients will be wearing additional personal protective equipment including masks and full face visors.
Importantly, the full range of dental treatment will not be available initially with aerosol generating procedures, such as the use of the high speed drill or ultrasonic scaling, resistricted for the timebeing. Furthermore, treatment may take a little longer than usual due to the additional precautions in place meaning it is even more important that patients arrive on time for appointment.
Once the treatment is complete, if payment is required then patients are asked to use card payment wherever possible.
Whilst dental practices transition towards full re-opening, NHS Fife is continuing to provide an urgent dental care service in 10 urgent dental care centres throughout Fife. Those requiring urgent dental care should contact their own dentist in the first instance, who will provide advice and initial assessment, and can refer on to an urgent dental care centre if required.
Dr Emma O’Keefe is a Consultant in Dental Public Health and Interim Director of Dentistry in Fife. She said of the changes to dental services:
"Dental practices across Fife have been working incredibly hard over recent weeks to put in place the measures necessary to protect patients and staff, and help reduce the spread of coronavirus in our communities.
"Dental practices, much like other healthcare services, will be operating very differently than they will have done previously. This is vital if practices are to operate safely and we have every confidence that local people will support these changes over the coming weeks and months.
"Most importantly, patients should be assured that if they require urgent dental treatment, then they will continue to receive the same high standard of care they have come to expect. "
For the latest information on coronavirus-related changes to dental and other healthcare services, please visit coronavirus.nhsfife.org
