DentalKind, 54-56 High Street, Billericay, Essex CM12 9BS
Dear Patient,
I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones in good health.
Thank you for all being patient and bearing with us during this incredibly challenging time in our profession. We are pleased to inform you that the practice has reopened this week.
The world and our community has been through a lot over the last few months and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines in a sensible manner. While many things have changed in our lives and workplaces, our values
have remained the same:
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and dentistry has always been regarded as a very safe profession for patients to be treated in with the high levels of disinfection protocols we follow. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. The main concern with providing dental care during the peak of the pandemic is because most treatments are considered aerosol generating procedures. Theory suggests this aerosol could be infectious and we have taken steps to further enhance our already excellent cross infection measures. We are revising our existing protocols to be in line with all new guidance for disinfection, allowing more time for enhanced cleaning and upgrading levels of PPE to the highest standard advised around the world.
For the safety of our patients and our team we have had to make some changes to the patient journey. The aim of this is to maintain social distancing and reduce risk of transmission of the virus. Please work with us and we respectfully request your cooperation with the advised changes to the practice of dentistry at least for the period we endure the pandemic.
These changes include:
There will also be changes to the treatment appointments and these will primarily be a pre-treatment anti-viral mouth rinse and the use of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) by our team for aerosol generating procedures. I apologise in advance for the necessary reduction in social interaction during this period – please remember it is still the same happy faces and friendly team under the masks!
To reassure you that I am doing my best to prioritise your safety and wellbeing, as
well as our efficiency as a practice we have utilised the government loan schemes and heavily invested in the following measures:
We are following all guidance for ‘best practice’ and will be doing whatever is shown to be effective in improving safety and reducing risk. Despite the huge financial implications the practice has suffered during the forced closure of the practice, we have no intention of increasing our normal fees for the foreseeable future unless absolutely necessary for the viability of the business. However, for the practice viability we have to add two changes to patient fees:
We can’t wait to see you all again soon and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice.
Our phased reopening will initially prioritise patients with urgent or emergency issues, followed by our patients who are mid-treatment. We are increasing availability of appointments with longer days and additional sessions being worked by our clinicians to help cope with the backlog of appointments and the necessary gaps between appointments for social distancing and enhanced cleaning.
Our new opening hours will be:
We will continue to be available out-of-hours for our patients and if a nurse is available we will also offer a physical appointment where necessary. At the very least we will offer advice, a remote prescription and aim to provide an appointment within 24 hours.
Should you require an appointment please contact the practice via phone, website, email or social media. Please do not attend the practice unless you have an appointment.
I would like to thank you for your patience, understanding and supporting our practice during this exceptionally challenging time for us all. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients and friends.
“If you are looking for a dentist who sees you as an individual and not just a set of teeth, then you have found the right place!”
We provide a wide range of cosmetic dental treatments including: Dental Implants, Porcelain and Composite Veneers, Cosmetic Dentures, Orthodontics and much more