At Birchgrove Dental Practice patient health & safety is our main priority and we have always maintained an extremely high level of excellent cross infection prevention.
We are operating at the highest standards of cross-infection prevention, at the same level as urgent dental care centres at hospital levels. We have gone a step further and installed hepa/uva Air filtration units into our two surgeries. This system cleans and purifiers the air within the surgery completely every 3-4-minute period. This air change eliminates any dust, virus, bacteria, or pollutants.
The team members will likely be wearing different masks ONLY for treatments involving a spray/drill – known as respirators for any treatment. We will also be wearing thicker FFP2/3 masks which do make communicating difficult. Please do not be alarmed if these look different to the masks that you have been seeing/using. Check up visits or non aerosol based appointments our team will be wearing surgical fluid resistant masks.
We will risk assess you verbally on the day for any change in your medical history or covid-19 symptoms.
Please read the information below carefully ahead of your up and coming appointment with us at Birchgrove Dental to maintain safety for yourself and our staff:
If you have ANY Covid-19 symptoms prior to your appointment, please let us know. This includes: A high temperature, a persistent cough and/or loss of taste/smell. Please call us as soon as symptoms start.
- Before you attend the practice, please take a shower, brush your teeth thoroughly and wash your hands with copious amount of soap for 20 seconds at least (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/). Please could we kindly ask you to wear a face-covering/mask when attending appointments. You will need to wear this to enter the building and whilst waiting. You will be able to take the mask off in the surgery once directed to by the dentist/nurse. Please put your mask in your pocket or bag. If you need a bag to put it in, please let us know. Do not put this on our furniture.
- Please attend the appointment alone. If you are a couple/family and have one appointment after the other, we kindly ask one of you to stay in the car – you both need to attend your OWN appointment time. We have limited seats available in the waiting room to keep ALL patients safe. The only exception for this is if a parent is accompanying a young child. You are not under any circumstances to bring a friend with you who does not have an appointment.
- The toilet will be closed to help eliminate any chances of cross-infection so please bear this in mind before arriving.
4.Please arrive on time or a maximum of 5 minutes earlier and come to the door. The door is open, please come in and wait inside the door by the sign. There is a signpost that kindly asks you to stay by the door and wait to be checked in. We will come to meet you by the door when you are inside. Please be patient if the receptionist is with another patient or is on the phone, we will be with you as soon as possible.
5. Do not bring a large number of belongings into the practice with you – only your wallet/purse/small handbag and phone.
6. You will be required to use some Alcohol hand gel which is situated in a dispenser on the wall as you enter. A staff member will come to greet you and then direct you to a designated seat in the waiting room. Seats are limited and spaced 2m apart. Appointments are organised carefully to keep patient numbers to a minimum.
7. You will need to touch the front door handle to enter, you will then be able to use the alcohol gel inside. Please try not to touch any more doors/railings inside the practice – unless you need to climb the stairs, this is ok of course. These are wiped down / cleaned in between each stair journey. When Dr Lewis or Dr Yang or one of our nurses come to collect you please go straight to the surgery that you are instructed to and your clinical team will greet you there.
Please be aware that due to the current circumstances there will not be an ultrasonic/spray scaler used at Hygiene appointments. The Hygienist will be hand scaling. We are sorry for this inconvenience, but we do have to remain as safe as possible.
Social distancing is always to be maintained, with the acceptation of the dental team who will be in full PPE. The dental nurse will always clean down all areas and maintain excellent hygiene standards.
We are taking payment prior to booking to minimise contact with the reception team. Thank you for doing this, we appreciate it.
Please could you kindly confirm receipt of this email and confirm that at the time of sending you do not have Covid-19 symptoms. This will again be checked verbally the day before your appointment when we call you to confirm and again on the day of your appointment as we greet you.
We appreciate that this is a worrying time for all, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email (info@birchgrovedental.co.uk) or phone 02920693858.
Thank you for your patience and co-operation. We will look forward to seeing you at your appointment.
Kind regards
Birchgrove Dental Practice