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COVID-19

From 7th November...

We have increased our capacity by by installing mechanical air extraction in the surgeries. This allows us to reduce our redundancy times in the surgeries after the use of our aerosol generating equipment.

We now have 5 surgeries working at any one time, previously it was 3 surgeries. With the constraints of social distancing and the infection control procedures we are not at pre-covid capacity and so not in a position to begin routine dental treatment. 

As soon as we are meeting the demand for emergency treatment we will resume routine dentistry and begin sending out recalls for examinations.

From the 22nd June...

Hygienist appointments available to book.     

 

With the new infection control procedures imposed by covid the ultrasonic scaler will not be used (possibly a relief to many) descaling will be completed with hand scalers. Teeth will be polished with a rubber cup in a hand piece but not with the air powder polisher. 

 

If you book online please read our guidance about your dental visit so you can help us maintain social distancing and follow the correct infection control protocols. You will receive this information when your appointment is booked.

 

 

All the best

 

from The Butts Team

 

From the 10th June...

We are looking forward to reopening our practice to patients as soon as possible after this date. In order to do this in a safe and responsible manner, we have started extensive planning discussing important changes to the way we will operate.

 

The level of dental treatment we can provide after this date will be constrained by the availability and fitting of PPE, social distancing measures and appropriate cross-infection control. We have yet to determine precisely the shape and capacity of the service we will be able to provide. We will keep you up to date on this website.

At the beginning there will be a filtering of who can get appointments depending on their dental needs. Obviously those in pain and infections will get priority followed by those with broken teeth, lost crowns, incomplete treatment and finally will be those needing routine check ups and cleaning. 

 

The key points of our back to work strategy are: 

  • Social distancing 

  • Spaced appointment times  

  • Divided entrances, compartmentalising the surgery 

  • Online app to take personal details and payments 

  • Staff training

  • PPE, FFP3 masks etc. 

  • Increased disinfection times 

 

 
This is what a journey through the practice could look like in the future...

 

Telephone triage: 

  • We will ascertain the patients’ health over the phone.

  • If no Covid symptoms are present an appointment will be booked.

  • If Covid symptoms are present we ask the patient to contact NHS 111 if it is an emergency or wait two weeks until the symptoms have subsided.

  • When an appointment is booked with us we will send you a link to update your medical history, fill in any necessary NHS forms and personal data. We aim to keep clerical contact with staff to a minimum in the surgery. 

 

Arrival at the Practice: 

  • We intend to avoid use of the waiting rooms and to space our appointments out so if you have driven we would ask you to wait in your car until we call you.

  • If you walk or use public transport, we will give you a time to arrive when you should be able to arrive and go straight to an unused surgery.

  • Fortunately, at the Butts, due to our large Victorian building we have the capacity to accommodate social distancing efficiently and allow adequate time for surgery disinfection between aerosol generating procedures.

  • We intend to utilise the three entrances to the practice with each door leading to a separate floor where we have two surgeries and only one surgery will be used at a time.  

  •  

Your treatment:

  • Combining our rigorous infection control procedures with the additional PPE requirements we aim to keep ourselves and you safe.

  • The space we have at the Butts allows us  the required time between patients for surface decontamination in the surgeries after treatment.

  • The flow rate with which we can treat patients will depend on the government guidance. This will vary with time. 

Leaving the practice:  

Once treatment is finished any necessary future appointments will be booked in the surgery and we will encourage payments to be made over the phone so contact with reception staff is limited. 

 

All the above is based on what we predict will be the government guidelines will be this may change.

 


 

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