Coronavirus

NHS DENTAL CARE - 2/11/2020

Good morning,

With regard to resuming normal NHS dental care. As of today, the 2nd November, we are allowed to increase the range of NHS dental services which we can provide to patients but contrary to recent media reports it is not ‘business as usual’ for dental practices as the processes and procedures put in place to mitigate against the virus are still in force and indeed are more important than ever at the present time.

We continue to provide emergency care for those who contact us and we are attempting to contact patients to resume dental treatment which was planned prior to lockdown.

Your understanding throughout the ongoing pandemic is greatly appreciated and we will try to be available as much much as possible as the compromised situation continues.

Michael Kelly Dentistry

ROUTINE DENTAL CARE - 1/11/2020

On the 12th October dental professionals and the public were simultaneously given the news via STV that dental practices could resume with full service NHS dental treatment from the start of November. It is welcome news for all that we can get on with providing the treatment that is so desperately required since we were told to close our doors in March.

However as the country appears to be experiencing a second wave and virus cases are once again soaring we find it puzzling that dental practices are being advised to move in the opposite direction, to routine dental care. We would like government advice and guidance on why it is deemed safe.

NHS dentistry has been on hold for months and we have taken the time to put in place additional measures which ensure that patient and staff safety are at the centre of all that we do. This includes covid screening, social distancing, careful timing of appointments, increased air changes in clinical areas, advanced disinfection with enhanced PPE use and hand sanitisation. These additional factors also mean that we cannot work as we did pre-covid and we anticipate further official guidance this week from Scottish Government (not STV news)on how to move forward especially in light of the growing virus case numbers.

Please do not contact the practice at this time to book routine appointments from November 1st-we must continue with the emergency service for now until we are given official government guidance, and as soon as we have this we will post this on social media, on our website and get in touch with our valued patients who have been patiently awaiting our reopening.

All at Michael Kelly Dentistry

PRACTICE REOPENING!

Dear patients, 19th June 2020

The Scottish government has stated that as of Monday 22 June dental practices may reopen with a view to seeing patients face to face, an announcement we welcome as part of the roadmap to easing lockdown restrictions and we return to work. Whilst it is stated that we can reopen, the safety of our patients and staff is paramount and this will be at the forefront of our reopening procedures as the coronavirus has not disappeared.

After almost three months of closure we will be ready to see patients shortly, following the necessary steps to make the practice ready with respect to finalizing new protocols which will continue to keep our practice among the safest places to attend with confidence. Whilst we will be opening this coming week it is important to stress that due to continued social distancing measures in place we will be limited in the number of patients we will be able to see on any given day and like all practices in Scotland we will be limited to using only one surgery in the short term. Under the direction of Scottish government we are also limited to the treatment which we can offer at this time which rules out any procedure which could produce an aerosol and this includes the use of the dental drill and water and air scaler. Any treatment requiring the above measures would need to be delayed or referred to a dedicated treatment hub at this stage.

Please bear with us as we move through these stages which are there to keep us safe even as the virus threat seems to lessen. We will prioritise emergency care at this stage and then work to resume normal care at the first possible opportunity. This will include check ups and dental cleaning which so many of you tell us you have missed.

There will be new protocols for patient communication, appointment making and attending the practice and we will keep you up to date on this. In the meantime if you have any emergencies including pain, swelling or uncontrolled bleeding please get in touch.

Michael Kelly Dentistry

 

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Firstly, this is a very difficult and upsetting time for everybody- families, individuals and all businesses, as we collectively face the pandemic of Covid -19. Following the latest directive from the Chief Dental Officer on the 24th March, we, along with all dental practices in the UK have been instructed to cease face to face dental care and move to telephone advice and referral. What this means is that our dental practice is temporarily closed as of tomorrow to help stop the transmission and end this pandemic. Routine dentistry during this period is no longer available.We will still be contactable through the voicemail on the practice number, 0141 637 1745, where we can assist with severe dental emergencies which are heavy bleeding, swelling or uncontrolled bleeding. We will liaise with our pharmacy colleagues if antibiotics are required and put you in touch with an established emergency dental centre if active treatment is required.We look forward to seeing you as soon as we return to normal hopefully in the not too distant future. We thank you for your patience during this period and urge you to stay home and stay safe
 
Michael Kelly Dentistry

COVID-19 / CORONAVIRUS

As we continue to face daily challenges presented by the Corona virus pandemic our thoughts are with the people around the world who are affected.

I want to reassure all of our patients that, in this time of uncertainty, our dental practice will remain open and safe to attend unless we are advised otherwise. Given our exceptional measures in cross infection control and hygiene, our clinic is doing all it can with regards to the spread of contaminents.

All clinical areas are of course impeccably cleaned along with associated instruments and single use items. All staff are only attending work if they have not travelled to high risk areas overseas and show no signs or symptoms and we always wear the required PPE- masks, visors and gloves. We are proud to have a high standard in hygiene and sterilisation protocols and I can reassure all of our patients of our continued committment to this.

In our waiting areas all handles are being cleaned between patients, the card machine is wiped between uses and sadly we will remove all magazines and reading material for the foreseeable future.

So many patients attend our clinic for their regular dental care as well as more advanced treatment to restore their smiles and dental health. We appreciate the trust that our thousands of patients put in us and in our clinic and we can assure you that we will continue to provide the highest standards of care in clinical excellence and hygiene to everyone who attends.

While the changing nature of this situation may impact some of our patients, we are proactively planning for every contingency to minimise any disruption to our patients. Our team are always available for advice via email or phonecall, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We appreciate your patience and trust and thank you for your continued support.