Only a third of dental clinics are to reopen next week

ONLY a third of dental surgeries are planning to open on Monday, and patients are being warned that routine treatments will be affected.

Practices have been told they can reopen if adequate coronavirus safety measures are in place, but just 36 per cent in England are ready to resume appointments on June 8, according to a survey of more than 2,000 surgeries by the British Dental Association.

The biggest obstacle cited was a lack of personal protective equipment. Consequently, only 15 per cent of surgeries are able to offer the many common procedures that can result in droplets from the mouth of a patient being released into the air.

Urgent cases will take priority, something that will at least help those in need of immediate care avoid having to wait in long queues.

But patients with dental emergencies who cannot use their usual surgery are advised to call NHS 111 and they will be directed, if necessary, to an urgent dental care centre.

For people who wear dental braces, the British Orthodontic Society has published a series of video tutorials on its website, bos.org.uk, showing how patients can solve common issues themselves at home.

Mick Armstrong, chairman of the BDA, said dentistry would be limited to a “skeleton service” for the foreseeable future.

“Practices reopening on Monday will struggle to meet the backlog built up over lockdown,” he said.

“We had thousands of patients left in limbo midway through courses of treatment, while others who’ve developed serious problems need our help.

“Too many patients struggled to get appointments before this pandemic.

“Government must set out a plan, because access problems will now be hitting every community on an unprecedented scale.”

The BDA warned that social distancing and decontamination measures would result in longer appointments and therefore fewer patients being seen, resulting in lengthy waiting lists and potential financial difficulties for surgeries.

One dentist told the BBC that he would normally see up to 60 patients on an average day, but would now be limited to about five.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “The reopening of dental practices is welcome, but it is vital that this doesn’t risk the health of dentists, patients and staff.”