Following on from the government updates and the Chief Dental Officer’s latest guidance, please download our most recent bulletin here:
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Alternatively, you can read the summary here:
A) Covid-19 Changes
The Prime Minister announced on Sunday 10 May a change in the pandemic approach and advice, meaning that we wondered what this meant for the dental industry and the patients who are not currently receiving new or ongoing care and treatment. Meanwhile, the distinct existing advice for practices in the four UK countries still applies. This means practices are still to treat initially via advice, analgesics, and antibiotics where appropriate, and to triage care into the various urgent care systems. The Office of the CDO in England has reinforced the ‘no change yet’ message, stating: ‘the temporary cessation of routine dentistry addresses the safety of patients and of dental teams as well as supporting the public health measures required to slow community transmission of COVID-19’.
B) Keeping in touch with patients
We understand it is difficult to explain to patients about the current situation. It is important that you keep in touch with your patients and regularly update your website and any phone messages, so your patients know you are here to help and and thinking about them.
If possible, short weekly videos can be a good way to humanise your business, connect with your patients and demonstrate your commitment to help via offering top tips to maintain a good oral health.
Contact patients’ mid treatment and offer self care while your practice isn’t running as usual and let them know that you are already making plans about reopening the practice.
C) Prepare for business reopening
It may feel slightly premature for some to think about how dentistry will look in the future. Now is the time to begin thinking about the followings:
➢ What could you do and how could you work differently based on your building, clinical and nonclinical groups?
➢ What do you need to do to plan for this? Especially when you may end up with 2 or 3 versions of plans, depending on changes from the government?
➢ Understand PPE provisions based on each plan
➢ Who are essential staff that physically need to be in the building?
➢ Can you change rotas, so staff work in groups?
➢ What work can still be done from home to minimise risk?
➢ Do you have up to date policies and risk assessments?
➢ Do you know your at-risk team members so you can conduct risk assessments based on gender, ethnic background, age, disability and pregnancy?
➢ What training can be done in quieter times?
➢ Prepare your marketing and relaunch plan