Dentists helping in virus fight

Dental staff in Perth are doing their bit to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic by taking blood samples from patients.

Broxden Dental Centre is providing community phlebotomy services through the crisis after staff agreed to undergo additional training.

Many patients require regular phlebotomy for disease and medication monitoring. They are often immunosuppressed meaning that bringing them to a hospital site could be dangerous at this time.

Services are currently being delivered at the Perth dentist from 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Dental therapist Hazel Duncan said:“The dental community wanted to help during this difficult time, which is why we took up the opportunity to train in phlebotomy and help with the COVID-19 response inTayside.

“This means that patients will still receive an excellent level of care, with the main change being where they go to receive their treatment.”

Clinical dental director Dr Morag Curnow added:“I am delighted at the contribution dentistry has been able to make to the wider NHS Tayside family.

“All branches of dentistry have stepped up to the challenge, with independent practices, the public dental service and the dental hospital all working together for the common good. I’m proud to be a member of the dental team here in Tayside.”

It was announced last month that all routine dental care would stop across Scotland and the Public Dental Services would coordinate emergency dental care for all patients during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Within Tayside, urgent care centres have been opened at Kings Cross Health and Community Care Centre, Dundee Dental Hospital and Springfield Medical Centre, as well as at Broxden Dental Centre.

If you have a dental emergency, you should phone your usual dentist in the first instance, or call 01382

425791 in hours or NHS 24 on 111 in the evenings and at weekends.