Coronavirus Patient Update 29/06

You may have heard that dental practices in Wales can open their doors to patients on Wednesday 1st July for emergency and essential appointments.

Our practice will be opening on that day but we just wanted to be clear that this will not be business as usual. The treatments you are offered may be different to those you received before. It will take some time before services return to what you previously experienced as normal. Please be patient.

Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our surgery. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our practice follows infection control guidelines laid down by the Welsh Assembly Government and the General Dental Council (our governing bodies). We are up-to-date on new guidance that has been issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to recommendations.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

  • • Our practice will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again at your appointment
  • • We have hand sanitiser that we will ask you to use when you enter the practice. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the practice for you to use as needed
  • • We no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect
  • • Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment

We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.

How you can help:

  • • With the exception of children and patients with carers, patients should come alone. Please only bring minimal belongings into the practice with you
  • • A distance of at least 2 metres must be observed if another patient is present in the dental practice
  • • Payment should be made by card where possible
  • • Staff will not shake your hand
  • • If you show symptoms following appointment booking, you should contact the practice by phone
  • • Please do not arrive early to the practice. If necessary, you will be asked to wait outside the practice chairs will be provided
  • • Please do not arrive without an appointment. You should use the toilet before attending the practices as our toilets will be closed

Sincerely,
Chris and the all the Clifton Dental Team