Blog

What to Expect When You Visit Us- COVID-19 Service Update

01/08/2020

Whilst we are now open, there are a number of new processes in place to ensure we meet and exceed the requirements provided to us by the government and our regulatory bodies. This means you may notice a few changes next time you visit us! Here we have explained what to expect on your next appointment, and the guidelines we ask you adhere to keep us all safe and COVID-secure.

 

NEW PATIENTS

Regretfully we are not able to accept new NHS patients. If you are looking for a new practice please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

CURRENT PATIENTS

We have started to see our first patients and feel pleased that we are able to take these first steps to being able to look after you. Following guidance from governing bodies we are currently offering limited treatments. If you have already contacted us previously regarding a dental problem, we are working through appointments and will be in touch soon. We greatly appreciate your patience at this time.

Advice for Your Visit

The whole team at Northway Dental are working hard to ensure that your visit to the dental practice will be a pleasant, effective, and most importantly a safe experience. Many of the procedures and protocols that were routinely part of safe delivery of dental care are already well developed and practiced at the Practice. With the COVID19 pandemic we have upgraded many of these routines to ensure that we are offering you the latest in safe dental environments. The risk of virus particle contamination is managed carefully in all areas of the building and clinical rooms.We are keen to prepare the practice, prior to your visit as much as possible in order to limit the time you spend in the practice, and to allow us to manage your dental problem efficiently, and effectively, whilst you are with us. We will endeavour to manage as much pre-visit admin and consultation with you over the phone and sometimes by email, to streamline your actual onsite visit.

Please look at the following Dental Practice guidance that will help us look after you during your visit.

• If you are unwell for any reason it is better not to come to the Dental Practice. If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID 19, please stay at home and follow NHS guidance.

• Please brush your teeth using your usual oral hygiene measures.

• *** Toilet facilities at the practice are currently unavailable. ***

• We will confirm any changes to your medical history over the telephone, including any new medication you may be on.

• If you are new to the practice, we will email a medical history questionnaire to you, which you can complete and send back to us, electronically.

• Please remember to bring your plastic payment card. We will take payment for your visit at the start of your visit, via contactless payment. Cheques and cash introduce extra levels of contamination risk that we are keen to avoid.

• Our waiting room is closed to patients.

Please wait in your car until called in by your dentist.

• Please do not bring anyone with you into the building if this can be avoided. Of course we are ready to receive parents of small children and carers but please plan to keep siblings and other family and friends out of the building.

• Please try to arrive cool and calm. Please do not run or race your bike to your appointment as your body temperature will be raised and you would appear feverish.

• Your dentist will use an infrared thermometer to measure your body temperature on arrival. If you are feverish, we will ask you to rebook your appointment for two weeks’ time.

• You will be offered a hand gel rub at reception. Receptionists are there to help you and are now behind a screen to protect their work environment.

• As you are invited into the building, we ask that you wear a face mask or face covering that covers your mouth and nose.

• All of us looking after you will also be wearing various levels of PPE, but we are all likely to be wearing a mask as we greet you. This is because we will be closer than 2m.

• We will invite you to the dental surgery that will have been prepared for you.

• Your dentist and dental nurse will be wearing a mask and visor.

• After our initial discussion with masks on we will ask you to take your mask off and use a mouthwash for 1 minute. We will give you a big tissue to hold along with your facemask throughout the appointment. This is for you to be ready to catch a sneeze or a cough with the big tissue helping keep the surgery environment clean.

• Your dental appointment will be as normal except that the room may be cool for you as we will have windows and doors open to allow fresh air to circulate in the room. Please come prepared to keep yourself warm with an extra layer. You will be offered a paper dental bib to minimise contamination of your clothing with droplets from your mouth.

• In many cases we will request that we make follow-up appointments for you over the phone, later that day or the following day. Often treatment plans will be presented by email, with discussion and scheduling done by phone in order to keep our building as socially distanced as possible during the working day.

• All your treatments will be planned carefully and managed in a cool, calm, COVID19 safe environment. There will likely be extended appointment times for some treatments. Your treatment plan will have the up-to-date costs detailed within it. Dental SEO for dentists.

• At Northway Dental we are determined that your experiences under our care continue to be effective reassuring and confidence-building. At the same time, we offer you detailed attention as comfortably and safely as possible. Many thanks for working with us, as we manage your dentistry in these tricky times. We look forward to seeing you.

Keep safe, Team Northway