02/06/2020
We hope that you are well. We want to keep you updated with the current situation. Whilst the government announcement has been made that we can re-commence face to face patient contact on June 8th the threat level from corona virus is still at 4 (out of 5) with sustained community wide transmission. Whilst some of the lockdown measures are gradually being eased the overriding message is still to stay at home and only go out when essential, particularly for vulnerable groups (the over 70’s and those with underlying health conditions). The main routes for transmission of Covid-19, with it being a respiratory virus, are droplet infection and contact with contaminated surfaces or aerosols. Aerosols are very fine particles produced when dental work such as drilling or scaling with an ultrasonic device are carried out. Even the use of the air syringe can create aerosols which may facilitate the spread of infection. With this in mind Public Health England and other professional bodies have issued guidance that we only carry out procedures that are absolutely necessary. The guidelines also specify increased infection prevention and control measures that we need to adhere to. This includes the use of enhanced personal protective equipment, such as filtering face piece masks for any aerosol generating procedures. We are currently waiting for delivery and fit testing of these masks. We want be able to keep you and our staff safe and we want to reassure you that we will take all necessary precautions to ensure that this is the case. This means that we will not be able to return to ‘business as usual’ just yet and we will need to prioritise any urgent care at this time. We thank you for your continued understating and patience. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have an urgent dental problem and need any help or advice.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Turner and all the staff at MJ Siswick Dental Practice
