We are open as normal to help patients
Whole Tooth Dental is open as normal to provide an essential health service.
We will still be helping patients with pain and problems to help them feel more comfortable, and we will prioritise these appointments. Routine care including examinations, hygiene and treatment appointments will also continue, as these are important to prevent further problems. Your oral health is important and screening for oral disease including oral cancer is essential.
Although in dentistry we already had very high levels of cross infection control, We have increased it further.
We now have enhanced PPE, increased laminar air flow, fogging machines and greater distancing of patients and staff. In addition, we have a system of pre appointment Covid checks, temperature checks, hand sanitiser, face masks on arrival and surface disinfection.
Please feel free to share this widely.
Stay safe, and be extra careful to look after yourselves and your family.
1- We will contact you on the 1-3 days before the appointment to confirm your appointment, check on your medical history and Covid status. As we are avoiding paper contact, we are working on digital ways to replace the paperwork which we had in place. We will also be taking prepayments in most cases so that the actual appointment visit can be simplified.
2- Please come unescorted as far as possible, as we are not planning to have our waiting room in use, and also bring the minimum amount of possessions with you.
3- When you arrive, we will ask you to stay in your car, parked next to our building, until the receptionist phones you to come to the front door which will be kept locked . If you come by foot, please let us know that you are here, and if it is safe to let you wait inside, we will certainly alow you in. The receptionist will greet you by the front door and take you in, ask you to apply hand sanitiser, and take your temperature with a no touch thermometer. If you have a face mask or covering, please wear it to the visit, or we can provide a mask for you to wear once you come in. You will then be shown in to the surgery to meet the dentist. keep your mask on until you asked to remove it.
4- In the surgery, you will see the dentist and nurse wearing extra PPE, especially so if you are having a treatment requiring aerosol. Please remember that it is still the same lovely people underneath! There will be a plastic container in the surgery to put your belongings in, and you may be given a pre treatment mouth rinse.
5- Once the dental treatment is complete, you will be escorted to reception to discuss further appointments or shown to the door, and you will be allowed to go straight out to limit time in the reception area. Any communication for further appointments and payment can do done remotely. We will be allowing longer periods of time between patients to allow for distancing, and additional cleaning of all surfaces.
6- There will be an additional charge for the extra PPE we have had to put into place when we carryout any aerosol generating treatments. As this will be based on the actual costs based on the treatment, we will notify you with the amount when we arrange the appointment. We are hoping that the current unusually high prices will reduce over time, and we will reduce the charge accordingly. We hope you understand that we have had to do this, as all our other costs have also increased, and we simply cannot absorb the cost of the additional PPE, and stay in business to help you.
As a thank you to our plan patients who have stayed on the plan with us throughout the past 3 months, there will be a reduced PPE charge for any aerosol generating treatments.
There are no addition charges for any visits, where aerosol generating treatments are not being carried out.
7 - We will also be using more means of remote consultations so that we can give advice, and discuss treatment options without patients having to have to come in. Hopefully this will be more convenient, and we will find it easier to communicate with our patients when we are not trying to speak with big masks and visors on.
As you can imagine, our policy and procedures will be constantly reviewed, and we will keep updating these on this page.