CORONAVIRUS

 

Advice for patients

Routine dentistry during COVID-19 requires the correct social distancing measures and personal protective equipment to be in place. Our practice has been working hard to source protective equipment and put measures in place to maintain social distancing measures. In England practices will need to prioritise their patients based upon their needs.Our community has been through a lot due to the Corona virus. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety. Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice, and you may have seen this during your visits to our surgery. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe. Our practice follows infection control guidelines made by the governing bodies. We are up to date on new guidance that has been issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to recommendations.

How we keep YOU safe

• All our clinical team are Fit-Tested on face respirators with P3, FFP3 and FFP2 filters.                         

• We have NO shortage of PPE, we invested months ago in extensive amounts of PPE.                                                                   

• We have rigorous screening protocols                                                                                                            

 • Our cross-infection control and decontamination procedures are GOLD STANDARD.                                         

• Social Distancing                                                                                                                                                  

 • All of our team have been trained to provide safe care.

What will dental appointments be like?

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example: 

• If you call to make an appointment, you will be asked some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again at your appointment.
• You will be asked to attend with a face mask (face covering) or be prepared to wear one and to use hand sanitiser and to wash your hands when you arrive (and again before you leave).
• We will take your temperature upon your arrival and you will be asked to return at a later date if you have a temperature of 37.5℃ or higher.
• You will also find that our waiting room, Patient’s lavatory and the reception area are closed; or might look a little different with two metre markers in place and we no longer offer magazines and drinks, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• You will also notice that the dental team may be wearing different protective equipment to what you are used to seeing.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• Payment will be made by card prior to your appointment in order to minimise the contact with the reception staff.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you.

 

Referrals for certain procedures 

Even after the practice has re-opened, please be aware that you may need to be referred to an urgent care centre for some treatment. Some procedures will not be offered right away in every practice. The supply of essential PPE (particularly certain masks) dictates whether a dentist can offer aerosol-generating procedures. As a result, many practices will continue to triage their patients to urgent dental centres for such treatment.

How you can help:

• With the exception of children and persons in need, patients should come alone.
• A distance of at least two metres must be observed if another patient is present in the dental practice.
• Staff will not shake your hand.
• If you show symptoms prior to your appointment, you should contact the practice by phone.
• Please leave all personal belonging at home or in the car when possible.
• Please do not arrive early to the practice, you should wait outside the practice.
• Please call us on the practice number 01892-533944 on your arrival and leave us a message. One of the team members will call you and will give you necessary instructions.
• Please do not arrive without an appointment.
• Please bring your own pen.

It will likely be some time before dental services return to what you previously experienced as normal.However, your dental teams will be doing all they can to ensure you receive the treatment you require in the safest way.

You will notice an additional fee of £25, associated with all AGP procedures, i.e. all treatment requiring enhanced PPE.* These are to account for the significant increase in cost of providing treatment, especially due to PPE and extended appointment times. Prices are guides only, for personalised quotations please see the treatment plan provided by your dentist. All prices are subject to change at any time. If you have been given a treatment plan and prices prior to pandemic, please discuss with your dentist to confirm costs of treatment. We reserve the right to increase the charges of previous quotations to take into account the increased cost of providing treatment due to PPE and increased surgery times. Please understand that we have tried extremely hard to keep costs as low as reasonably possible.

*Procedures that will be aerosol generating or have the potential to be:

1. Any use of 3:1 air / water (together or singular).

2. Use of high-speed turbine, electric handpieces, surgical and Implant motors with coolant/irrigation.

3.Use of the above motors without coolant inside the Intraoral cavity (slow speed tooth decay removal, prophy etc.) or on contaminated products outside the oral cavity.

4. Lasers inside the oral cavity or on contaminated products outside the oral cavity.

5.Ultrasonic and Piezo handpieces.

6.Sandblasting / Air abrasion / Air polishing.

7.Intraoral radiographs (can stimulate saliva, gagging and coughing).

8.Other procedures that induce coughing, sneezing or gagging e.g. intra oral scanners.

9.Polishing after hygiene therapy.

10. Impression taking as it may induce coughing or gagging.

11. Rinsing or spitting into a spittoon.

COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Dental Treatment Consent Form

I, ________________________________, knowingly and willingly consent to having emergency dental treatment completed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I understand the COVID-19 virus has a long incubation period during which carriers of the virus may not show symptoms and still be highly contagious. Given the current limits in virus testing, it is impossible to determine who has it and who does not have COVID-19.
Dental procedures create water spray (aerosols), which is one way the disease can be spread. The ultra-fine nature of the spray can linger in the air for several minutes to hours, which can transmit the COVID-19 virus.
● I understand that due to the frequency of visits of other dental patients, the characteristics of the virus, and the characteristics of dental procedures, that I have an elevated risk of contracting the virus simply by being in a dental office. ________ (Initial)
● I have been made aware of that under the current pandemic guidelines, all non- urgent dental care is not recommended. Dental visits should be limited to the treatment of pain, infection, conditions that significantly inhibit normal operation of teeth and mouth, and issues that may cause anything listed above during the next 3-6 months. ________ (Initial)
● I confirm I am seeking treatment for a condition that meets these criteria. ________ (Initial)
I confirm that I am not presenting any of the following symptoms of COVID-19 listed below:
● Fever
● Shortness of breath
● Dry cough
● Runny nose
● Sore throat
________ (Initial)
I understand that air travel significantly increases the risk of contracting and transmitting the COVID-19 virus. The CDC recommends social distancing of at least 2 meters for a period of 14 days around anyone who has travelled by air, and this distance is not possible with dentistry. ________ (Initial)

Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________

Best wishes

Tunbridge Wells Dental Centre

 

Dr Farzad Afzal and his professional team

Welcome you to Tunbridge Wells Dental Centre - The Dentists In Tunbridge Wells.

Your family is as important to us as to you. Encouraging young children to be seen regularly prevents fears and unnecessary problems later in adulthood.

We provide a wide range of treatments from routine prevention and maintenance to advanced treatments like implants, smile makeovers, invisible braces etc. We aim to provide the highest level of care in a safe, hygienic, friendly and relaxed environment.