25 / 03 / 2020
Finish Line in Sight
Returning to the Workplace and Safety Measures
Welcome to our latest newsletter and as always we would like to start by thanking you again for your continued support and understanding during these very different times, and hope more than anything that you, your families, and loved ones are all safe and well.
There has been increased movement this week on when we should be able to return to work
There has been increased movement this week on when we should be able to return to work. With many patients unable to get any help or support from their dentist during the lockdown, has left many patients in agony and facing serious health issues. MPs are urging for Dental Practices to reopen on 15th June as part of the second phase of easing the lockdown.
We have been in a fortunate position, where the majority of our patients have not needed to call on us, and with our in house emergency service we have managed to help over 250 of our patients with temporary filling kits, antibiotics and broken dentures.
Following on from the newsletter last week, we continue to work ‘behind the scenes’ to ensure we are ready to open once we are allowed. Some of our team members have been in this week carrying our equipment checks, checking stock levels and familiarising themselves with our new enhanced PPE and the new working environment when we return.
I would like to take this opportunity to ensure you that we have a safe working environment
I would like to take this opportunity to ensure you that we have a safe working environment. Studies have now been published, that have revealed that dentists who were working up to the start of the lockdown had a significantly lower number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 when compared to the general public. It is important to remember that this was with the previous PPE and before social distancing measures where in force.
On our return to work we will be working with enhanced PPE, to ensure the upmost safety of our patients and team members at all times
On our return to work we will be working with enhanced PPE, to ensure the upmost safety of our patients and team members at all times, as we will have a reduced ‘foot fall’ through the Practice. Rest assured though that our focus of providing high quality care and attention will not change, nor will our drive to further our cause of improving the health and well-being of as many patients as we can, in a safe, comfortable and caring environment.
Once the official guidance has been released, which we expect to be tomorrow, we will finalise our new Standard Operating Procedures and will of course then share these with you. We are also planning to record a series of videos demonstrating this and to give you an idea on the new ‘patient journey’ when we do return.
As stated in previous newsletters, the health of your gums is the foundation to your overall oral health, and therefore it will be important we focus on this on our return. With this mind, we feel the majority of our patients will need additional hygiene appointments to re-establish their oral health.
Therefore we will be allowing patients to ‘swap’ one of their health check appointments for an additional hygiene appointment. For example, if you normally have 2 health check appointments and 2 hygiene appointments a year as part of your membership, we could change this to 1 health check appointment and 3 hygiene appointments instead for the year to help you get your gum health back on track.
Our team have now personally called over 2,500 of our members to ‘check-in’
Our determination to help is unwavering and my wife and we continue to provide our emergency service 7 days a week from 9.30am to 8pm, helping our members with advice, antibiotics and temporary fillings kits. Our team have now personally called over 2,500 of our members to ‘check-in’ with them to see if they are well and if need any help during this time.
We will also be extending our working hours once we are fully operational, to help accommodate any missed appointments. If for whatever reason this is not possible or inappropriate, we will add the “value” of your missed appointment(s) to your account, which can be used as credit against any treatment you may require, whitening or oral hygiene products.
As always your continued support, commitment, kind words over the phone, email replies, cards and social media posts are truly humbling and gives us immense determination to help in any way we can.
Please stay safe and alert, and together we will get through this!
Best Wishes
Puneet and Sheetal Jain & The Team at Sutton Dental & Implant Clinic
