The BDA has responded to the new guidelines which probably spell the end of most routine care in England, lamenting the absence of any current safety net to support services through this crisis. The FGDP(UK) has published a consolidation of the advice given out by the four UK Chief Dental Officers.
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The first article on how COVID-19 affected dental practice in Wuhan China has been published. Across the USA, individual states have been ordering dental practices to reduce contact with patients where possible. The Irish Dental Association has said that widespread closure of dental practices across the country is now inevitable.
Read more: COVID-19 Weekend update I: Developments in China, USA and Republic of Ireland
The Chief and Deputy Chief Dental Officers for England have issued their latest update, with the expectation that the profession will ‘exercise clinical judgement’ in applying this guidance. It outlines changes that will apply to practices. Separately the BDA has reported that dentists could be ‘redeployed to support NHS’ and that dentists and their staff are ‘key workers’ when it comes to children attending school.
Read more: COVID-19 20th March Update: CDO (Eng) advice published at last and updates from BDA
Update today includes a financial offer to Scottish dentists in return for not performing aerosol generating procedures. Anger intensifies over lack of guidance from CDO (England). Both the GDC and CQC have given some clarification about how they will be working during the emergency. The LDC Conference this year has been postponed from June to November 26/27 in Brighton.
The BDA wrote yesterday to Sara Hurley Chief Dental Officer for England, saying their members are desperate, asking what they should do in the absence of official advice over COVID-19. Separately CDO Wales, Colette Bridgman, wrote to dentists in Wales and the GDC chief executive issued an update.
Recent statistics show that the demand for adult orthodontics is continuing to rise, but concerns have risen about “direct-to-consumer” teeth straightening, which lures in customers with the promise of low prices and fast results but can often result in permanent damage. The Oral Health Foundation and British Orthodontic Society have created Safe Brace – a trusted space where patients can get independent and impartial advice about making the right choice for them.