Post lockdown visits to the dentist

I have hygienist appointment next week. Dentist appointment has been postponed until October. I am on a dental plan and pay £12.50 a month. This gives me two appointments with each a year plus exray and 10% off if I need any treatment. So far they have not put this up.

Having lost one filling and had a tooth & post drop out (both at the front of my mouth), I phoned my dentist to find out what their current situation was. I was amazed when they rang me back and offered me an appointment that afternoon. They ran through a health-related questionnaire with me and told me all the precautions in place.
Everything was well organised and I felt perfectly safe which was reassuring as I am immunocompromised. However, the dentist could take only temporary measures with my teeth and I am nervous now about biting on anything remotely hard! I've been eating mush recently! I was told what the cost would be beforehand and thought it perfectly reasonable - £27.

My daughter in law went on Saturday, only private hygienist £40 charge extra for ppe

Thankfully after two cancellations I have a dental appointment on Thursday. I was told to wait in the car and then would receive a phone call telling me to enter the building. My temperature would be taken n told to initially wear a mask. I was informed an email would be sent with a couple of forms to complete and return back to the practice on completion. I was then asked to pay a £100 upfront and after the visit any remaining monies would be returned back to me. Thankfully had no problems during lockdown but wish to ensure all is ok just in case a second lockdown should happen. We are still unable in Greater Manchester to have people visit from other houses and nobody but household members are even allowed in gardens.

I pay into a monthly plan at my dental surgery and I'm due both a hygienists appointment and a dental appointment in September. I've double checked that both are still going ahead and have received confirmation that the hygienists appointment is going ahead but the dentist appointment "we'll let you know nearer the time".

DH is a dentist so has access to the very extensive guidelines sent to them (very late in the day) prior to being permitted to reopen. The surgery has to 'lie fallow' between appts where treatment is aerosol generating (using drill). Amount of PPE differs slightly depending on whether treatment is AGP. Masks for all are mandatory for medical environments, although obviously you have to take it off to be treated! PPE and implementing of other safety procedures is expensive but £25 - £39 seems a very steep surcharge. Some dentists have simply gone out of business, which may account for silence from some posters' surgeries

I went to my dentist ( NHS ) last week for a filling that was meant to take place in May.

I too had to wait outside, wait while I was called then sanitize hands, I seriously had no issues with the procedure, I was far more focused on my tooth receiving treatment than the procedure due to Covid.

If I've to wait outside for next treatment, sanitize etc etc then so be it..

I was obliged to cancel a visit to my dentist because I found the rules impossible to comply with. I have severe arthritis and would have been arriving in a taxi, so "stand outside and wait" was not an option. If this had been the only obstacle i could probably have found someone to drive me there and wait, but the one insurmountable edict was, patients weren't allowed to use the loo. I've since found that other dentists do allow access to waiting rooms and loos, and that they all do their own risk assessments, so rules differ from practice to practice. I hope I don't have to change practices as I've been attending this one for the best part of 20 years, and my dentist is excellent, but if they don't relent about the loo visits then I might have to.

I'm fortunate in being with an excellent NHS dental practice. Am seeing my dentist tomorrow because of a broken filling. (N.B. On the NHS you do pay for a crown but it's still cheaper than going private. ) I'm prepared to pay extra for PPE etc. if required.

The recorded message at my dentist in Scotland says the clinic is closed as advised by government guidelines . Emergency for serious problems appointments only .

I was at the beginning if treatment to have a crown fitted when lockdown started. My treatment gas been put on hold since March. In the meantime I lost a filling and after a few weeks of getting a sore tongue from the sharp edges I phoned the dentist to see if I could have it replaced. They told me to go and ring a bell on the railings outside the reception window where I was handed a small bag containing temporary filling material and told how to fill my tooth myself! I did it and so far it's holding, although it is wearing thinner.
No idea when I can resume treatment or even gave a checkup.

I’ve recently been for a check up and as a health provider myself I know what expense they have had to go to in order to make it as safe an environment as possible. They are also having to see fewer patients per day so that droplets can settle between procedures. Lots of dentists are going out of business because of COVID. I’m very happy to pay more so that I can keep my dentists business going. I just hope that most dental surgeries will survive this. It’s truly money well spent.

I wish I could actually get to see my dentist!
I rang them over a month ago, because I have broken a tooth, and was told they weren't seeing anyone - even emergencies - because they had decided to take the opportunity to refurbish! Instead, the receptionist offered me advice, and said they would get back to me. Since it wasn't too bad, I decided to wait..... and wait...
The receptionist rang this week to tell me my regular check-up and hygienist visits had been cancelled due to Covid 19 and was I ok to wait, and she was taken aback when I reminded her I had rung over a month ago with a problem!
She said they are now starting to look at the emergency list, but my dentist is taking 2 weeks off for a holiday first as she has been so busy with the refurb (wtf!) and since they only have one room available they couldn't offer me an appontment yet!
And all the while my tooth is getting worse.... pretty bloody fed up with them to be honest.

My husband needs a crown and was told they will only do it as a private patient. He is an NHS patient.

I saw my dentist in February and because he couldn’t arrange an appointment with the hygienist before July, he arranged an appointment with himself in April. I duly paid the NHS charge at the time. April appointment was cancelled and moved to July then to August then to September. I had a call from the hygienist on Friday last to say that she would be doing the clean not my dentist. She told me there was an additional charge of £10 for PPE. I was unhappy as the initial appointment was NHS and I had already paid for the treatment. If I had made the appointment after Covid then, of course , I would have been aware of extra charges and would have decided whether to go ahead. As I am retired and a WASPI, I have limited income. I might add OH and I have been going to this practice for 23 years! I am waiting the practice manager’s response.

What you have to realise is that Covid 19 is an airborne virus. Therefore most equipment used in dentistry eg air rotor (drill)ultrasonic machine used by the hygienist, even the air syringe (to blow air to dry a tooth) creates an area of spreading the virus in the room therefore full PPE is required. The guidelines recommend all the precautions your dental practice is carrying out as well as leaving an hour between patients where any of the above equipment has been used. Therefore imagine how many patients can be seen in one day. I would suggest you are lucky to have a dentist that can actually see you as many will not be able to financially carry on with this situation. Always surprises me that we will willingly spend hundreds of £`s to a vet for our pets but not on ourselves for our teeth & our safety! They are trying to keep US safe as well as the staff. PPE was extremely expensive even before Covid...now the prices are through the roof.

We may be being ultra cautious, but we've decided no dentist visits at all unless we have an emergency. We also pay for two check-ups per year, but feel our continued health is more important.

My husband had to get an emergency repair kit for a tooth that broke off in lockdown. He has since been back for an appointment but at the moment they cannot do every procedure.
We pay monthly and it is expensive, but I think if you find a good dentist they are worth their weight in gold. Or amalgam!

I didn`t think one could get a dental appt!

me? I have to, well, we have to wait outside our pharmacy to collect prescriptions!
wondering what will happen come winter months

I was due to make an appointment when lockdown happened and as I've had no problems I've just left it. However My charges are refunded due to a cash plan provided by my employer so I need to book soon before I retire or I'll lose out on the benefits my employer has paid for this year and the tax I've paid on that! Same applies with the optician so I'll be making some appointments. Glad this has reminded me!

My next check up was booked for early September so I am just waiting to hear whether it will go ahead and how it will be conducted. I must admit they have always been scrupulously clean so I don't really expect any change - here's hoping.

I am going tomorrow for a temporary filling - medical forms done online - my dentist is working two half days a week. I am grateful they are seeing me .

I think £25 extra is not unreasonable given the extra costs they are liable for.
Mine has bought a gadget (UV maybe?) that goes in for x minutes between people as well as certain areas needing cleaning by hand - and so much thrown away it seems.

But from their point, other than fitting a breathing tube, how much closer does anyone get to your airways?

I had a dental emergency the day before dentists were allowed to reopen and have been twice. I was very nervous as Ive been shielding. I found the new precautions very reassuring indeed and they are ansurelt doing the right thing during this pandemic. Mine haven't increased the price though. There is one dentist in my town who has and people are leaving to register with other dentists so I think it will backfire on them. You can always change dentists. The extra charges seem excessive.

Why not take out a private dental insurance. I have had one for my family and still cover adult children and family. It is far cheaper over the year than paying for each visit.
They are doing their best as the environment is a high risk one due to microscopic sprays etc so the need for such precautions. Do try the dental insurance. There are a number of providers.