COVID-19 Update for our Patients

16th June 2020

We’re Open!

Firstly,

We want to thank you for your incredible support, patience and understanding over these past few months. We’re delighted to be returning and we cannot wait to continue your treatment.

What’s next?

 We will be prioritising the emergencies that we have already triaged throughout lockdown and we do not expect to return to ‘a new normal’ for at least 3-4 weeks.

We will be opening with a reduced capacity and increasing as the threat level decreases, in line with government and Chief Dental Officer’s advice and guidelines. This is because we have to allow a ‘Fallow Time’ between each patient, don and doff PPE and to scrupulously decontaminate the surgery. We promise to communicate our plans and the next steps to all of our patients as they develop.

This has been an incredibly difficult closure and even more difficult to try and ensure the safety of our staff and our patients and, while we are confident we have achieved this, it’s something we feel we ought not to rush.

What to expect:

Please do not call

To begin with, we will not be accepting incoming calls. This is purely because we will not be able to meet the demand of the sheer volume of calls that we expect. We are able to run a report of patients that have been cancelled and that are due.  As such, it will be more efficient and fair to everyone if we contact you in the order that you were originally booked.

If you have an upcoming appointment, please wait for confirmation before you arrive at the practice. We will not be able to accommodate you if you turn up and hope for the best.

Emergencies

If you have an emergency please email reception@hollandparkdental.co.uk

Video Consultation

We will triage emergency appointments via video consultation before we book you an appointment in the practice. This is to ensure we book an adequate amount of time and allocate appropriate PPE for the treatment required. We will also defer review, consultation and discussion appointments to Video Consultation where possible.

Dental Hygiene

Due to the aerosol-generating nature of dental hygiene appointments, your hygienist will, for the moment, not be using an Ultra-Sonic Scaler (the vibrating water jet one). Instead, you will receive a thorough clean using hand instruments only. We will not be able to off PROPHY-Air Polish at the time either. Your appointments will still finish with a standard prophy paste polish and you will of course still leave with immaculately clean teeth.

Pre-Arrival Check List

We aim to reduce the time spent in the waiting room and reduce the risk of manual transfer so there will be a number of things we ask you to fill, sign and complete before you arrive:

• COVID-19 Screen e-Questionnaire
• COVID-19 Pandemic e-Consent Form
• Lone Attendance e-Consent (if applicable)
• e-Medical History
• e-Treatment Consent
• Pre-Payment via Telephone / Online Payment Link
• Use the toilet as our facility will now be ‘staff only’
• Travel light and without friends & family where possible

Patient PPE

Please wear a cloth or disposable facemask to the practice.

One of the team will take your temperature with a digital touch-less thermometer on arrival and show you to a patient PPE station to sanitise your hands. You will be asked to remain a safe distance at reception to complete a further COVID symptom questionnaire prior to your appointment.

PPE Supplement Fee

If you are having an aerosol-generating treatment (anything that uses a drill and/or creates a spray of air and water) we are required to wear Enhanced Personal Protective Equipment. There will be a PPE Supplement fee to pay, £45 for Clinician and Nurse and £25 for Hygienists.

Booking your next appointment

We will ask that you do not return to reception after your appointment, all further appointments can be made via telephone and email at a later date.

Safety Measures

We have invested a lot of time and effort into ensuring we have the utmost safety measures in place. These include Air purifying HEPA filters with UV-C lights and Full Personal Protective Equipment for all our staff, clinical and non-clinical.

We know our appearance may seem a little impersonal and scary, for this we apologise but we assure you, it’s still us under there!

Thank you!

We need to politely ask for just a bit more patience over the coming weeks, but we should hopefully see you soon! Thank you again for your kindness and understanding.

Wishing you well.

Holland Park Dental Centre Team

COVID 19 & your dental appointment

15th April 2020

Holland Park Dental Centre is CLOSED until further notice.

If you had an appointment with us you will have received a cancellation SMS and/ or email.

Dental Emergencies

We are triaging dental emergencies by email. If you have an URGENT dental emergency then please email anthony@hollandparkdental.co.uk with your Name, Your Concern and Your Telephone Number.

At present, we are not able to safely offer any emergency dental treatments at Holland Park Dental Centre but we will be able to offer you care and advice and refer to you an “Urgent Care Centre” that has been appropriately stocked with the correct level of PPE IF it is required.  (Please see below for what constitutes a ‘Dental Emergency’)

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

23rd March 2020

Holland Park Dental Centre is CLOSED until further notice.

The Chief Dental Officer ( CDO MARCH 2020) has released a statement.

ALL DENTAL PRACTICES IN THE UK HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO:

• Cease all care of anyone who is classed as non-urgent and stop all procedures that generate aerosols.
• Dental Practices – the staff are at a very high risk of contracting the virus from the public and should only offer a dental service if they have the resources and the PPE.

For the safety of our patients, general public and staff members we at Holland Park Dental are following the BDA, NHS and LDC guidelines that ALL Dental and Orthodontic Care will be stopped with immediate effect, until further notice.

You will receive a text confirming your appointment cancellation. We have cancelled ALL appointments until 31st May 2020 and we will monitor the situation until this time, as we may cancel further appointments.

We strongly advise patients to avoid seeking dental assistance until the coronavirus has been controlled and practice self-isolation for their own and others’ safety.

The NHS is being overburdened – and dentists and dental staff will soon be asked to become key workers at the NHS hospitals.

 IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL THE PRACTICE REOPENS

• Routine care such as a dental check-up and hygiene treatment
• Fillings and other treatments that are not urgent
• Mild or moderate pain: that is, pain not associated with an urgent care condition and that responds to pain-relief measures
• Minor dental trauma
• Post-extraction bleeding that the patient is able to control using self-help measures
• Loose or displaced crowns, bridges or veneers
• Fractured or loose-fitting dentures and other appliances
• Fractured posts
• Fractured, loose or displaced fillings
• Treatments normally associated with routine dental care
• Bleeding gums
• Orthodontic or  Invisalign treatment
• Cosmetic, Periodontic or Implant treatment

WHAT IS CLASSED AS AN DENTAL EMERGENCY?

Dental emergencies include:

• Trauma including facial/oral laceration and/or dentoalveolar injuries, for example, avulsion of a permanent tooth
• Oro-facial swelling that is significant and worsening
• Post-extraction bleeding that the patient is not able to control with local measures
• Dental conditions that have resulted in acute systemic illness or raised temperature as a result of dental infection
• Severe trismus
• Oro-dental conditions that are likely to exacerbate systemic medical conditions such as diabetes (that is lead to acute decompensation of medical conditions such as diabetes)
• Broken brackets, lost elastics, broken wires and broken bonded retainers ARE NOT an emergency

PLEASE NOTE – that you will NOT BE SEEN BY THE NHS or PRIVATE EMERGENCY DENTAL SERVICE if you DO NOT FALL INTO THESE CATEGORIES.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DO FALL INTO A DENTAL EMERGENCY CATEGORY THAT CANNOT WAIT

ALL Private and NHS patients should now call NHS 111 services where a specialist dentist IS NOT NEEDED.

For those emergencies that CANNOT WAIT and patients NOT in the high-risk categories and think they may need to see a Specialist Dentist from Holland Park Dental: contact Dr Anothy Lam,  we are running an email triage system and will have to filter those that we can and can’t see.

Please contact me by email anthony@hollandparkdental.co.uk

(It may take up to 48 hours for me to get back to you as I will be dealing with other emergencies).

Emergency appointments will be on a first come first basis – then patients will be redirected to NHS 111. I apologise in advance – there are a finite number of days that we can cover as we are limited by our resources.

(IF WE HAVE THE RESOURCES THEN WE WILL TRY AND SEE YOU / YOUR REFERRED PATIENT FOR URGENT CARE: Otherwise, they will be advised to seek NHS emergency care. PLEASE BE AWARE THERE IS AN EXTREME SHORTAGE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND STAFF)

HIGH-RISK PATIENTS

NO HIGH-RISK PATIENT WILL BE SEEN AT HOLLAND PARK DENTAL CENTRE

1. ALL Infected and high-risk patients should be referred to the place advised to dentists by contacting

england.lon-dental@nhs.net

2. Patients can find out the local high-risk dental centre by calling NHS 111

(Special facilities have been set up with full clinical PPE setups )

WHO IS HIGH-RISK? 

• Anyone displaying any COVID-19 symptoms; a new and continuous cough, sore throat, or a temperature of at least 37.8 degrees
• Patients who are or should be self-isolating
• 70 years or over
• Asthmatic
• Anyone with a respiratory condition
• Diabetic
• Low immunity
• Those that have been in contact with a known carrier or infectious individual
• Those that have been abroad within the last two weeks
• Those that continue to work or travel into Central London
• Those that use any form of public transport
• Key workers

———————

ALL INVISALIGN PATIENTS – will be asked to hold their treatment when they come to the end of their set of aligners.

FIXED ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS – can remain in their current brace wire.

You may seek advice if you are not sure what to do – please email us and I will do my utmost to get back to you.

We understand the impact to your continuity of care and it is with great sadness that we are imposing this closure but we know that you will appreciate the risk that our staff and our patients face in this industry. And we are guided by the Government, by our governing dental bodies and by our strong set of professional dental principles and values.

We will reopen as soon as the risk to our staff and to our patients is eliminated, we will email you to let you know when we are open.

Thank you for your patience and understanding and please, be responsible through this crisis. Please stay home to protect yourself, your family and your community.

Wishing you all well,

Dr Anthony Lam.

20th March 2020

The BDA has confirmed “Key Worker” status for Dental Professionals. Providing staffing levels remain high and we are able to meet standard operating procedures we will remain open. Albeit with revisions to appointments for the vulnerable and with ‘aerosol-generating’ procedures ceased where possible.

19th March 2020

We continue to be led by the British Dental Association, Public Health England and the Chief Dental Officer England and we endeavour to provide a safe environment for our patients and our staff.

The latest updates include:

16th March 2020

As the Novel Coronavirus  (COVID 19) situation becomes more widespread, we are writing to you to reassure you that at Holland Park Dental we are continuing to take all necessary precautions, in line with advice from Public Health England (PHE), the Foreign Office; the safety and wellbeing of the patients and staff remaining our utmost priority.

Our entire team at Holland Park Dental remain vigilant for signs and symptoms of the Novel Coronavirus and have appropriate action plans should they be required.

We continue to maintain a high standard of hygiene around the practice and we are reminding the staff and patients about adequate hand washing during the clinical day.

Following Government advice, we are not accepting any patients from affected regions until the outbreak is contained, or until the individuals have been resident within the UK without symptoms for 2 weeks.

We are mindful that many patients travel regularly and would, therefore, be grateful if you have visited, or plan to visit the affected areas, as detailed here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public, that you follow the most up to date Government advice.

If you have already travelled through an affected area, have suspected exposure to the virus or show any symptoms, you are advised to self-isolate and to contact 111 immediately.

Please then inform the practice to discuss the dates of your continued treatment.