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UK checkups?

Judythecat

Judythecat

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 7, 2018
Messages
631
I wondered if any of the dentists here were able to give an idea of when routine checkups might start up again in the UK - I'm in Scotland which I know is slightly different. I'm usually on three month checks because of neuralgia/atypical facial pain, missed my April one, and assume I will also miss July. It is making me really anxious. I'm in the system to have a new mouthguard made because I have chomped through mine in lockdown, so am hoping my dentist might be able to have a quick look if I need to go in for impressions. (But she did say she thought they might still have my moulds from last time, so I might not need to.)

I completely understand about dentistry being very high risk, and I also understand there will be a huge backlog of patients needing priority care.
 
The most up to date guidance is here from my old friend Tom Ferris.


All NHS practices will have to follow these stages, private ones don't have to but they'd be very "courageous" not to, if you remember Yes Minister :)

Thank you, Gordon - that looks like maybe August/September? Am I being thick to assume anything that involves any sort of spray (so cleaning as well as drilling) is an aerosol generator? I spoke with my dentist a few weeks ago re my replacement mouthguard and she said she imagined they would still be referring a lot of people to the hub - can they drill there?
 
Yes, cleaning will generate aerosols.
The hubs can do the full range of treatment, staff are fully protected, there are multiple surgeries so they can disinfect properly between patients etc.
 
Yes, cleaning will generate aerosols.
The hubs can do the full range of treatment, staff are fully protected, there are multiple surgeries so they can disinfect properly between patients etc.

Thank you, Gordon. One last stupid question, if a person had a checkup and needed eg a filling, or some other treatment, but wasn’t dying of pain, would they be referred to the hub? Or is it just for people ready to rip their own heads off? (I keep thinking of that poor man I saw on the BBC news at the start of lockdown who was so desperate he extracted his own tooth! That was in England, where I think the hubs were slower getting going.)
 
Thank you, Gordon. One last stupid question, if a person had a checkup and needed eg a filling, or some other treatment, but wasn’t dying of pain, would they be referred to the hub? Or is it just for people ready to rip their own heads off? (I keep thinking of that poor man I saw on the BBC news at the start of lockdown who was so desperate he extracted his own tooth! That was in England, where I think the hubs were slower getting going.)

I read about that about the man who pull his own tooth out. I hope you can get to see your dentist soon

I know I live in England and the practice I attend, have offered me Examination with full hand scale next week, but I have to go private this time, instead of NHS. I know at the practice I attend have a huge backlog of patients needing priority care,
 
Depends on the circumstances, it would be up to the dentist's clinical opinion on how urgent the treatment was whether they would refer in to the hub or not.

I broke a tooth in mid March, haven't bothered to do anything about it just yet and will wait till things are back to more normal before I do. It's a clean break, no decay and I'm having no pain.
 
Depends on the circumstances, it would be up to the dentist's clinical opinion on how urgent the treatment was whether they would refer in to the hub or not.

I broke a tooth in mid March, haven't bothered to do anything about it just yet and will wait till things are back to more normal before I do. It's a clean break, no decay and I'm having no pain.

You are in a very good position to make that call! I last had a checkup in January so hopefully don’t need any work done,I am just interested and I guess like to know where things stand.
 
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