Update on dental services June 2020
Since 25 March, NHS dental practices have been providing telephone advice and triage. A network of urgent dental centres were put in place across the region to provide urgent treatment where necessary.
The Government recently announced that dental practices may begin to reopen from 8 June 2020 and start to provide a limited range of face to face treatment, where there is the necessary infection prevention
control and PPE requirements in place alongside urgent telephone advice and triage currently operating.
It is likely that those patients with the most urgent issues will be seen first and a return to services fully providing routine dental check-ups and hygienist appointments will come later. This may depend on the further easing of Covid-19 control measures.
Accessing dental services
• Dental practices will look different as they will be operating in a way that observes Covid-19 social distancing and hygiene rules, as part of measures taken to ensure the safety patients and the dental team alike.
• Whilst surgeries are observing social distancing, patients should continue to telephone or email their practice, rather than attending in person without an appointment.
• If you have a regular dentist, you should call them as a first step. The dentist will assess your situation over the phone, including giving advice and, if needed, prescriptions for painkillers or antibiotics, or arranging treatment.
• If you do not have a regular dentist during the Covid19 outbreak, you can still call any local dental practice as well as visiting 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111 who will provide advice as appropriate.
• Out of hours for urgent dental issues advice is still to visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Please do not visit A&E departments or GPs with dental problems.
