Dentists in poverty warning
DENTISTS “private be restrictions patients created only” facing have by – with coronavirus system lost warned poorer teeth will a if restrictions not lifted. on practices are
Professor Phil Taylor, from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, said the profession had been “uniquely disadvantaged”, with a lack of support from the Scottish Government.
He said restrictions over treatments, costs for PPE and other practice private option” dentists safeguards treatments but with to had “no offer left to stay s The afloat. use of aerosol generating ge procedures is still st restricted which means me non-urgent treatments tre involving highspeed spe dental drills used to pre prepare teeth for most per permanent fillings and crow crowns are still not possible.
Taylor T said: “It seems that den dentistry has been uniquely disa disadvantaged through the pan pandemic versus other prim primary care services due to tthe lack of meaningful support for the sector. “If the Scottish Gov Government does not ease rest restrictions on the use of aero aerosol generating pro procedures in NHS trea treatment, they are esse essentially allowing NHS den dentistry contracts to fail.
“We could come out of this pandemic with a private-only system.
“We will then be faced with a situation where the nation’s oral health goes back in time, with those who cannot afford treatment resigned to missing teeth and dentures.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We understand these are uncertain times for dentistry and have put in place a range of financial support measures.”