26 Mar 2020

25/03/20

RE: COVID-19 pandemic – Delay phase

  • The new guidance will set out that individuals will still be asked to self-isolate for 7 days from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms but any individuals in the household will now be asked to self-isolate for 14 days from that moment as well. (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-for-households-with-possible-covid-19-infection)
  • Travel history is now irrelevant
  • Anyone with a high temperature or continuous cough who is WELL can stay at home and does not need to engage with NHS111 or be tested.
  • Anyone with a high temperature or continuous cough who is UNWELL should go to NHS111 online first for advice, rather than approaching their GP practice or pharmacy (111.nhs.uk/covid-19)
  • This applies to staff as well as patients

Emergency appointments for people with COVID-19 or symptoms will be referred to a specialist dental centre.

  • You may email us at brockstreetdentalpractice@gmail.com to request a call back for triage
  • All routine, non-urgent dental care including orthodontics have been stopped and deferred until advised otherwise. Please minimise the use of the answering machine and phone line for urgent needs only.
  • We will be providing telephone triages and will be giving advice to patients with urgent needs.
  • We are being sent urgent patients referred to us from the emergency dental services for our area as part of our Local Urgent Dental Care system.
  • Registered and un-registered patients may still call us to be triaged for urgent care and will be given emergency appointments as appropriate.

Routine NHS Work examples:

  1. Mild or moderate pain, pain not associated with an urgent care condition and that responds to pain relief
  2. Minor dental trauma – such as banged primary tooth, bitten lip etc.
  3. Post extraction bleeding that patient is able to control
  4. Loose or displaced crowns
  5. Fractured loose fitting dentures
  6. Fractured posts
  7. Fractured fillings and/or teeth with mild or moderate pain
  8. Bleeding gums

Urgent Dental Problems examples:

  1. Dental and soft tissue infections without a systemic effect
  2. Severe dental and facial pain, pain that cannot be controlled
  3. Fractured teeth with pulpal exposure or severe pain

Dental Emergency examples:

  1. Trauma including facial oral laceration / dental alveolar injury for example avulsion of a permanent tooth
  2. Facial swelling that is significant and worsening
  3. Post extraction bleeding that the patient is not able to control
  4. Dental condition resulting in acute systemic illness or raised temperature
  5. Severe trismus (lockjaw)
  6. Oro dental conditions likely to exacerbate medical conditions such as diabetes and cancer patients.

The Emergency Dental Services number is

0300 1234 010

When routine dental care resumes later in the year, it is ultimately the patients responsibility to book an appointment. Our best efforts have been made to move patients appointments to later in the year, so that you remain registered. Any patient who does not attend the practice within a 2 year period for a check-up will be de-registered.