Dentists in England reopen after prolonged lockdown closure
Dental practices in England are opening their doors after a prolonged closure. The vast majority of clinics across the country have been closed since the end of March due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
It is estimated that around a third of dental practices in England opened on June 8th, with more set to follow in the coming weeks. Many practices will start by offering urgent care for patients and appointments for those who started courses of treatment prior to the national lockdown. It may be some time before routine services resume, and dentists have advised those looking to make an appointment for services like check-ups to avoid contacting them at the moment.
Reopening practices is a large-scale operation, and there will be additional challenges for dental teams to tackle as clinics start to welcome patients back. One of the most pressing obstacles is a shortage of PPE, which may limit the types of services dentists can provide and the number of patients that can be seen. Since the Covid-19 outbreak first hit the headlines, there has been a mammoth surge in demand for PPE, with countries all over the world facing the same crisis. Due to increased demand, it has been difficult for health bodies and dental practice owners to source sufficient stocks and unit prices have soared.
Research conducted by the British Dental Association found that the majority of clinics are lacking in PPE, with many unable to offer routine services as a result. The latest statistics suggest that 36% of surgeries planned to open as soon as the green light was given, with many of those not able to open citing PPE as an obstacle.
Mick Armstrong, chair of the BDA, highlighted PPE issues as a barrier to practices reopening, but he also called for more support for dentists and greater clarity on keyworker status. At present, some dentists are unaware whether they qualify for help, for example, childcare provided by schools for children of essential workers.
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