WE ARE OPEN

Our Dental Practice remains open and we continue to treat and care for patients as usual. If this situation changes, we will update this information.

We are doing our utmost to ensure that emergency appointments are available and see those needing treatment can be seen. We are operating a ‘Visit by Appointment Only’ policy. Please call us if you need an appointment or require any other assistance.

COVID SAFETY AT OUR DENTAL PRACTICE

The health, wellbeing and safety of our patients, their families and our team is our priority at Viva Dental.

We’re closely monitoring the evolving situation, following the guidelines issued by the UK Government, Public Health England and adopting any advise from Government agencies and professional bodies as required. We want to assure you that we have taken all the necessary precautions to make our Practice safe as possible to receive and offer dental care.

Our Covid safety measures include:

  • a robust standard operating protocol
  • a stringent decontamination process
  • supply of all the required PPE
  • the installation of a sophisticated scavenger extraction system

VISITING US

Important guidance if you’re planning on visiting our Dental Practice:

  • We are operating a ‘Visit by Appointment Only’ policy.  Please call or email us to book an appointment or need assistance.
  • Please wear a mask and come alone if possible, bringing only what is required for your appointment. Attending your appointment on time and using washroom facilities at home will help us minimise your time and contact at the Practice.
  • Please ring the bell when you arrive. We will let you in, sanitise your hands and take your temperature on arrival. We would appreciate if you could please follow the social distancing rules and any instructions, we ask you to follow.

PLEASE DO NOT VISIT OUR PRACTICE IF

  • You are self-isolating as per the Government guidelines.
  • You have any of these symptoms: cough, fever, loss of taste or smell or shortness of breath – even if they are mild.
  • You fall into the ‘vulnerable’ category as defined by the UK Government and have been asked to keep away from public places.

CONTROLLING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

It is important when visiting our Practice that you take the following steps, in line with the latest government advice:

  • Keep your hands clean, washing regularly and thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.  Avoid touching your face as much as possible.
  • Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch all coughs and sneezes and then bin the tissue – then wash your hands with soap and water; or use a sanitiser.
  • Avoid direct or close contact with anyone outside your own support bubble.

RE-SCHEDULING POSTPONED APPOINTMENTS

Since resuming service in July, we have been catching up with patients who needed urgent care and have been working our way through the list of patients whose regular appointments had been postponed.

We are continuing to call patients to schedule appointments after completing a Covid questionnaire. However, if you haven’t heard from us yet and you need anything urgent or wish to schedule a dentist or hygiene appointment, please do call us and we will schedule you an appointment.  We appreciate your patience and consideration when making appointments as the demand for urgent care continues to be high.

MOVING FORWRD

As an independent Private Practice, we have acted pro-actively in our management of this crisis.

  • During the first lock down we had been available to all our patients via phone and continued to provide appropriate emergency cover as required. We also delivered temporary filling kits, prescriptions and medication and provided a denture repair service.
  • As a key part of our Covid Safe Strategy, we have installed a scavenger extraction system that removes aerosols generated during treatment from a patient’s mouth to the outside of the building as the treatment is being performed. Although many systems extract the air in a room, they do not capture and extract aerosols at source before they disperse, which makes this system unique and very safe for patients and staff. We are one of the very few Practices in the UK and the first, if not the only Practice, in Lancashire or Cumbria to have this system installed.
  • We have imported PPE directly to ensure supply.

Our pro-active stance has meant that we have been able to safely provide a more comprehensive service to our patients than many other Practices have been able to offer. We have also been able to retain much of our capacity as possible.

We will continue to act in the best interest of our patients and staff to keep delivering our services safely, as we move forward.

COVID AND THE COST OF DENTAL CARE

Not surprisingly, the cost of providing dental care has increased significantly due to Covid. The need for additional PPE, cleaning, clinical waste, safety measures, testing and training as well as a demand driven price increase for many of the essential items, we use is placing a high burden on us. This is apart from the investments we have had to make in installing new equipment and adapting our Practice to safely provide dental care.

Although Dental Practices are opting to charge an extra Covid fee, we appreciate this is a testing time for many of our patients too. As such we have decided not to pass on these additional costs to our patients who have been patient and stood by us through these unprecedented times.

We thank you for your continued support.

Your dental care team at Viva Dental