Post date: 23rd July 2020
Here at Abbey Orthodontic Centre, we understand that the current situation has been a testing time for everyone, but also that we need to ensure we are still able to care for you and your dental needs. That is why we have been working relentlessly to completely redesign the way we operate so that we can begin to welcome you back as safely and as quickly as possible.
Every single decision we have made and step we have taken has been with a focus on the safety of you, our colleagues and clinicians. We have invested in additional, premium PPE, extra equipment and implemented new decontamination and safety procedures of the very highest standards that all our practice colleagues and clinicians are fully trained in.
We understand that things may feel different to your usual experience of a dental visit, and that you may be concerned, so here is some information on how your new visit will look and feel.
To ensure that you have all the information easily to hand, we will send you all the key information before your appointment - including who you will be seeing, what treatment you will be having, the cost of your treatment and , what to do when you arrive. It is possible that we may ask you to complete and return a medical history form that will be sent and completed digitally, so please do not print this out and bring with you.
Before you depart for the practice, we ask that where possible, you have already visited the lavatory, have ensured that you are hydrated and already brushed your teeth It is important that you do not bring a large number of things into the practice with you, so please ensure you only bring necessary items with you.
When you arrive, the doors will be locked, so please call to let our team know you have arrived and either stay in your car or outside of the practice (whilst maintaining good social distancing protocol) if you have arrived on foot. To minimise risk, please ensure you attend your appointment alone unless you require assistance or are supporting a child or someone vulnerable. We are encouraging card payments only so where possible, please do not arrive with cash.
When it is time for your appointment, one of our team will call you to notify you to approach the practice. Please let us know if you do not have a mobile phone beforehand and we will make alternative arrangements. Before entering the practice, one of our trained colleagues will take your temperature to ensure you do not have a fever and invite you in if your temperature is safely below 37.8 degrees centigrade. Unfortunately, if you are above 37.8 degrees, we will have to rearrange your appointment for the safety of all those in practice.
Once you have been invited into the practice, you will be asked to sanitise your hands and correctly place a facemask on, which you will be shown how to do. We will require payment before your appointment (if appropriate), ideally by card, using our freshly disinfected card machines to ensure you can have a swift departure once your treatment has finished. Our practice colleagues will be behind protective plastic screens, but this is for the safety of everyone. No other patients will be waiting in the reception area and you will be guided to the appropriate treatment room, following the distance markers that will be displayed throughout practice.
Before you enter the treatment room, you will need to leave any loose belongings like your coat or bag in the designated box provided. Upon entering the treatment room, our teams will be wearing extra Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as in order to provide you with the right care and service, they cannot adhere to social distancing recommendations. This may mean that it is more difficult to see our colleagues and clinicians’ faces, but please be reassured that they will be the usually friendly team. Naturally we are also ensuring that each treatment room is carefully cleaned and disinfected after each patient. You will be asked to place your mask into a plastic bag.
If you are attending for a treatment that requires an Aerosol Generating Procedure (AGP) - any procedure that has the potential to cause spray - you will be asked to carefully swill your mouth with a hydrogen peroxide solution for 1 minute. One of our team will talk you through this on the day.
When your treatment is complete, you will replace your face mask and collect your belongings from the box outside the treatment room door. Before you leave the practice, you will dispose of your mask at the door and leave after using hand sanitiser one last time, before we say goodbye. If you have any questions after the appointment, we will be able to call you to discuss this further asour aim is to minimise your time in the practice, for your own safety.
We hope that the above ensures that you can rest assured when visiting that every step has been taken to ensure the safety of you, our colleagues and clinicians. This is our top priority as we begin reopening our doors and return to providing you with the same standard of dental care that you have been used to. If you have any questions at all regarding our new practice experience, please do not hesitate to contact us/your local practice.
We understand that visiting the dentist can often be quite a big event for a child. Now things are different, we wanted to help showcase what a child should expect when they next visit the practice.
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