Following the lifting of the Government enforced closure, we have been hard at work with a phased reopening plan. Our hard-working team have been contacting the patients who called with dental problems during lockdown, and we have reached a point where most of these patients have now been contacted and seen.

We are pleased to announce that we are now able to open more appointment slots. We’re still recalling the patients who had to be cancelled during lockdown, but this is proving quite a mammoth task! If you had an appointment cancelled during lockdown, or you are due for a routine examination, we will contact you.  However, if you wish to be seen as quickly as possible, then please feel free to contact us first, and we will endeavour to get you booked back in ASAP.

We are also delighted to be accepting new patient registrations with our lovely dentist, Dr Cameron Warwicker, who has now joined us for 5 days a week.  If you are looking for a new dentist, please give us a call on 01366 386666, and we will arrange an appointment for you.

As always, the safety of our patients and staff is our priority. We want to stress that the Priory Dental Care is a safe place to be. We have always had strict infection control policies, and have further increased levels of infection control and PPE to the highest standard in light of the current situation. This may mean that appointment times are less flexible, but we will be as accommodating as possible.

There are still some treatments which we cannot rebook yet. This is due to length of time our clinical team can safely wear the required fitted face masks. Unfortunately, whilst the fitted face masks offer the highest level of protection, we are re-breathing our own exhaled carbon dioxide, so prolonged use can cause headaches, dizziness and shortness of breath.

Enhanced PPE Surcharges – The cost of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has increased 100 times more than in comparison to 2019. In addition, new guidelines from the Government mean our clinical team now have to wear more enhanced PPE to minimise the risk of cross-contamination during certain treatments. Therefore, the only way we can continue to operate is by temporarily introducing an enhanced PPE Surcharge of £36 for all Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs). AGPs are any treatment that requires drilling or generates aerosol inside the mouth, for example, fillings, crowns, ultrasonic scaling. This surcharge will continue to run until the Government and our dental authorities can allow us to terminate the use of enhanced PPE within the dental setting. For our Denplan patients, the cost of all this additional PPE will be waived as a thank you gesture for supporting us through this crisis.

Please be advised that, for now and the foreseeable future, patients can only attend the practice once they have been telephone triaged, assessed and allocated an arrival time. So, if you need an appointment or require oral healthcare products, please telephone us on 01366 386666 in the first instance.

Thank you all once again for being so patient during these difficult times. We will continue to keep you updated of any changes, and look forward to seeing you again soon!

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