DENTISTS in Worcester are preparing to reopen with a series of safety measures in place, including plastic reception screens, masks for patients on arrival and temperature checks.

Measures introduced by city dentists include PPE for patients on arrival, limits on the numbers of people who can attend a surgery, spacing out appointments to maintain social distancing and hand sanitiser in the entrance to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Shrubbery Dental Practice in Barbourne, Worcester, is to provide hand sanitiser on arrival for patients, asking them to leave any belongings in the car, a step followed by other city surgeries. The dentist is aiming to reopen as soon as possible but have yet to confirm when this will happen.

At the moment the dentist is assessing emergency patients over the phone only but is not operating walk-in services.

My Dentist in Ankerage Green, Warndon Villages, was performing triage over the phone.  A poll of 2,053 practices in England suggests that just over a third (36%) plan to reopen, lack of PPE being one of the issues.

A spokesman for Shrubbery Dental Practice said on their Facebook page: “Social distancing will be in place at the practice and PPE will be available to you on arrival. We kindly ask that you come to the dentist alone where possible and ask if children can only arrive with one adult.”

At that practice a member of the team will call the patient 48 hours before their arrival to go through a series of medical history questions and ask if they have had any Covid-19 symptoms over that time period. Bupa Dental Care in St Mary’s Street, Worcester reopened but made it clear they were prioritising appointments based on patient need, introducing a Covid-19 safety charter.

The team there will send out forms to complete before an appointment and ask health-related questions 24 hours beforehand. Appointments have been spaced out to allow social distancing in waiting areas. Protective screens have been introduced in front of reception desks.

The practice said in a message to patients: “You’ll be given a mask to wear on arrival. And our staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment to ensure their safety as well as yours. We’ll check your temperature upon arrival using a non-contact thermometer. If it’s deemed too high, your treatment will be rescheduled for a later date.”

They also stress that cleaning will be ‘deeper, thorough and more frequent’.

Shrubbery Dental Practice can be contacted on  01905 20136.