UPDATE: 28th May 2020 A big hello to all our patients, and we hope you are all well and keeping safe. We thought we should update you again on the current situation regarding dental care, and how we intend to operate when we are sure it is as safe as possible to re-open. Current Situation Yes, we are still here! Whilst we have been told not to see patients for now due to social distancing /safety reasons, we are still available to offer advice in an emergency. What is frustrating for you and us is that some problems that can normally be dealt with swiftly and safely are simply not possible with social distancing measures. One dentist from Cheriton is however always available at the end of the phone during this time, indeed we are taking calls every day. Fortunately, with reassurance, advice and care, most dental problems can at least be dealt with short to medium term until we reopen. Whilst following strict protocol, problems requiring urgent attention can be dealt with by antibiotics, or in severe cases such as facial swelling or injury, we can refer patients to a local clinic for treatment. Thank you to everyone that has required our help since lockdown for your understanding and patience, and we shall try to prioritise those that require follow-up treatment in order of urgency as soon as we re-open. How we will work when we reopen As soon as we have the green light from our governing bodies, and we are 100% satisfied we can look after you as safely as possible, we will reopen. For everyone's safety, there will be a few changes, as yet to be confirmed, such as: 1.Phoning all patients the day before their appointment to ensure they have no symptoms of possible coronavirus. We cannot see anyone at the Practice unless they have been telephone-triaged first. 2.Entering building no more than 5 mins before allocated time, to keep numbers down. It is important we have the correct contact details for everyone, so we can for example call you from your car when we are ready for you. 3.Taking of your temperature upon arrival by a member of staff. 4. Our Reception team will provide you with a mask to wear while waiting for the dentist/hygienist, from behind a protective screen mounted on the desk, and will also allocate you a seat in the waiting area to ensure social distancing. 5. Change of working hours to allow deep cleaning of surgeries after each procedure and ensure the Practice never becomes crowded. We anticipate starting earlier and finishing later every day. 6. You will notice the dentist and clinical staff will be wearing extra protective PPE, this is to protect everyone. Ultimately, we are here to look after you, so thank you for reading and digesting this message , and thank you in advance for your patience while we all prepare to get back to a new 'normal" and catch up with the ongoing care for you that has been delayed. In the meantime, keep safe and well. The Cheriton Team
Dear Patients, We don’t usually use newsletters to keep in touch but these are very unusual times. Indeed, we are finding that everyday life now for most of us is something we have never experienced before - Christchurch without traffic jams for instance! Daily tasks we carried out without thought now need careful planning and can be stressful. Not seeing friends or family can be challenging too. It is perhaps a reminder of how some of you feel when visiting the dental practice! At Cheriton we feel that we need to provide you with some information on the situation in dental practices all over the country and the issues we are facing. Whilst dentistry is a lower priority than simply keeping well, physically and mentally, it is important to point out the special situation we are in. Coronavirus is mostly passed on from droplets; droplets which come from the mouth, droplets which are increased and spread as aerosol by work within the mouth. The consequences of Coronavirus infection for at-risk groups can be serious, as we are all too aware. We have always taken thorough measures to combat the spread of disease, as there are many diseases we have to deal with in the dental environment. Rest assured, we have regular meetings and courses to ensure we continue to operate as safely as we can. Coronavirus will make us even more stringent in this. We are following government and specialist advice to keep risk of infection to an absolute minimum, and in following this advice, at this point in time, we cannot provide routine appointments for you. However, please remember whilst we are not at the practice, we are still your dental carers. We can provide you with advice in an emergency and offer antibiotics if you have an infection (just phone us as normal). We can also arrange referral on your behalf to an emergency clinic that has appropriate PPE, if your emergency is not responding to antibiotics. Prevention is better than cure, so here are some tips to keep a healthy mouth: Avoid really hard or sticky foods, no peanut brittle or pork scratchings. Take care with crusty bread (if you can get any!) Think again about snacking, with more time at home we probably snack more, it is important to avoid sugary snacks and drinks. Make sure your oral hygiene stays good, it’s always easy to ease off with our own care; yes, that means flossing/tepes - you know who you are! You can keep in touch with Cheriton news by checking our Facebook page, Cheriton Dental Practice, and by visiting our website www.cheritondentalpractice.co.uk Please can you pass this on to your family, neighbours and friends, as we do not have all our patients’ email addresses. Please take care, stay safe, and we hope to see you all soon, The Team at Cheriton Robyn, Gavin, Angela, Carmen, Natalie and everyone else!

CORONAVIRUS

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus situation, we are very saddened that we cannot see any patients for now.

Reception staff will be available by phoning 01202486249 all weekday mornings 10-1pm to postpone appointments until we are instructed otherwise.

We will try to ensure that no-one misses out on their regular care, but currently we are postponing all appointments for 8 weeks, and those patients considered higher risk, for 12 weeks.

During this difficult time for everyone, please be reassured that our dentists will remain available to offer advice to all our patients should they have a dental emergency. Our patients should contact Cheriton as normal on 01202486249 and either speak to our team or follow the answering machine instructions.

If you or anyone in your household have symptoms of potential covid19, and have a dental emergency, treatment can be arranged by contacting NHS111.

Please stay safe and we look forward to resuming your ongoing dental care as soon as deemed safe to do so.

 

Best wishes from the Cheriton team.

 

Cheriton Dental Practice has been awarded both the prestigious British Dental Association Good Practice Award and the Investors in People Accreditation.

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