Dentist

grimpys1966

So a friend of mine has a very bad abscess which looking at her was painful as you could see the discomfort. Rang dentist was given 7 day antibiotics no problem. Abcess didnt go n was told if not she would be seen. Come the 7 days and another long laborious phone call was told after questioning off dentist that she had covid19 and that she could not be seen!!! Omg this girl was in agony and had taken prescribed meds and told them all symptoms off abscess previous! Only to be prescribed more antibiotics!! And that they refused to see her despite the previous week that they said they would if it hadn't gone! SHE isn't or hasnt been ill or even been diagnosed with covid19. Am i wrong in telling her to report them as they are not doctors and every question they asked pointed only to pain and discomfort from her abcess?

Rosa_Damascena

Dentists are under strict instructions from NHSE not to treat patients because of the risk of viral transmission, a position that is confirmed constantly during this pandemic.

For genuine emergencies, call 111 and they may have a service that is accessible. This business about your friend having COVID or not is a red herring. I am inclined to think she may have got the wrong end of the stick here.

Masomnia

As above, apparently they're not seeing people unless it's basically life threatening. 

Might have to use the old string-door technique

Ted_Head

She should phone 111 as said previously. Rinsing the mouth with warm very salty water does help a little.

elsien

Rosa_Damascena said:

Dentists are under strict instructions from NHSE not to treat patients because of the risk of viral transmission, a position that is confirmed constantly during this pandemic.

For genuine emergencies, call 111 and they may have a service that is accessible. This business about your friend having COVID or not is a red herring. I am inclined to think she may have got the wrong end of the stick here.

That's not quite accurate. A relative's dental practice is still seeing emergencies following a remote triage process. In the OPs case, it sounds as if the triage has decided treatment in the form of ongoing antibiotics is the appropriate response in the circumstances. 

pogofish

Is the Health Forum also now infected or something....?

Rosa_Damascena

elsien said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

Dentists are under strict instructions from NHSE not to treat patients because of the risk of viral transmission, a position that is confirmed constantly during this pandemic.

For genuine emergencies, call 111 and they may have a service that is accessible. This business about your friend having COVID or not is a red herring. I am inclined to think she may have got the wrong end of the stick here.

That's not quite accurate. A relative's dental practice is still seeing emergencies following a remote triage process. In the OPs case, it sounds as if the triage has decided treatment in the form of ongoing antibiotics is the appropriate response in the circumstances. 

Exactly: the OP's friend has been triaged out of any requirement for near-patient treatment.

However if this escalates - as dental issues can - then 111 is there for you over a BH weekend. It's not there for a second opinion or to offer an assessment of the dentist's competence as the OP seems to be suggesting might be required.

JIL

I have a colleague at work who has had an appointment with his dentist. He actually had a video consultation which involved him putting his phone camera on his mouth. He then was advised to go in and his abscess was treated. 

brook2jack2

Dental treatment is about the highest risk there is because of the proximity to the patient and because of the viral load. That risk is to the patient, their contacts, the dental team , their contacts and anyone else entering the practice after. 

In England and Scotland very strict protocols have to be gone through including antibiotic, painkillers and advice before someone can meet the guidelines for referral to an urgent centre. That may include multiple courses of antibiotics. Even then they may still be turned down by the urgent centre as the crossinfection protocols mean it takes at least an hour to clean down in between patients and there are very few urgent centres (some of these may be ordinary dental surgeries set up for covid 19 but most dentists are not allowed to see patients directly).

in Wales and NI dentists are allowed to see very very urgent patients for extractions and non aerosol treatment (not using drills) , and again have to refer to urgent centres for aerosol treatment.

Again the protocols are very ,very strict about who can be seen and what can be done to minimise risk to all, Again there are very few urgent centres and they also may turn down referrals. The rates for one centre that I saw is 175 referrals , 148 turned down. 

This again is because the risk is so high to all concerned and because only around four people a day per surgery can be seen because of the hour needed after for decontaminating the surgery. 

It is in no way ideal , but it is the protocol followed in most countries during the covid crisis. I find it sad at a time when dentists are putting their lives on the line to provide treatment people's first thoughts are to add to the stress by putting complaints in.

Pyxis

brook2jack2 said:

Dental treatment is about the highest risk there is because of the proximity to the patient and because of the viral load. That risk is to the patient, their contacts, the dental team , their contacts and anyone else entering the practice after. 

In England and Scotland very strict protocols have to be gone through including antibiotic, painkillers and advice before someone can meet the guidelines for referral to an urgent centre. That may include multiple courses of antibiotics. Even then they may still be turned down by the urgent centre as the crossinfection protocols mean it takes at least an hour to clean down in between patients and there are very few urgent centres (some of these may be ordinary dental surgeries set up for covid 19 but most dentists are not allowed to see patients directly).

in Wales and NI dentists are allowed to see very very urgent patients for extractions and non aerosol treatment (not using drills) , and again have to refer to urgent centres for aerosol treatment.

Again the protocols are very ,very strict about who can be seen and what can be done to minimise risk to all, Again there are very few urgent centres and they also may turn down referrals. The rates for one centre that I saw is 175 referrals , 148 turned down. 

This again is because the risk is so high to all concerned and because only around four people a day per surgery can be seen because of the hour needed after for decontaminating the surgery. 

It is in no way ideal , but it is the protocol followed in most countries during the covid crisis. I find it sad at a time when dentists are putting their lives on the line to provide treatment people's first thoughts are to add to the stress by putting complaints in.

Thank you for that very informative post. 👏

njm123

brook2jack2 said:

Dental treatment is about the highest risk there is because of the proximity to the patient and because of the viral load. That risk is to the patient, their contacts, the dental team , their contacts and anyone else entering the practice after. 

In England and Scotland very strict protocols have to be gone through including antibiotic, painkillers and advice before someone can meet the guidelines for referral to an urgent centre. That may include multiple courses of antibiotics. Even then they may still be turned down by the urgent centre as the crossinfection protocols mean it takes at least an hour to clean down in between patients and there are very few urgent centres (some of these may be ordinary dental surgeries set up for covid 19 but most dentists are not allowed to see patients directly).

in Wales and NI dentists are allowed to see very very urgent patients for extractions and non aerosol treatment (not using drills) , and again have to refer to urgent centres for aerosol treatment.

Again the protocols are very ,very strict about who can be seen and what can be done to minimise risk to all, Again there are very few urgent centres and they also may turn down referrals. The rates for one centre that I saw is 175 referrals , 148 turned down. 

This again is because the risk is so high to all concerned and because only around four people a day per surgery can be seen because of the hour needed after for decontaminating the surgery. 

It is in no way ideal , but it is the protocol followed in most countries during the covid crisis. I find it sad at a time when dentists are putting their lives on the line to provide treatment people's first thoughts are to add to the stress by putting complaints in.

So it's acceptable to put patients lives at risk from a dental infection, this is a shameful policy from NHSE and others.