Dental practices continue to be significantly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Dentists are still prioritising patients with the greatest need and as such, members of the public may not have received a regular routine check-up.
Under pre-pandemic rules members of the public were expected to attend their dentists at least once every two years to maintain their health service registration.
The registration period has been extended to ensure that it does not lapse because of the impact of the pandemic. Anyone who has been to their dentist (since March 2018) will have had their registration period extended and therefore will still be registered today.
So please wait for your practice to contact you about your routine check-up but if you have a dental problem then please call your dentist. The dentist or staff in the dental practice will ask you some questions over the phone to assess your condition. If appropriate, you may receive a call back from a dentist, be given relevant advice, issued with a prescription, asked to come into the practice, or referred to an Urgent Dental Care Centre.
Don’t leave a mouth ulcer unattended for more than three weeks; don’t ignore any unusual lumps or swellings or red and white patches in your mouth and regularly check your own mouth, lips, cheeks, head and neck for anything out of the ordinary.
Mouth cancer is a serious and debilitating disease that can devastate lives and prematurely end them. Please contact your dentist if you have any of these signs or symptoms.
If you have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19) or have symptoms such as a high temperature, a new continuous cough, a loss or change of smell or taste, or other recent symptoms suggestive of a respiratory infection, and you need dental treatment, please let your dentist know.