Post COVID-19 Patient Journey

The New Normal Patient Journey incorporates a number of safety protocols to protect you and our team. It has been created based on multiple updated sources from within the dental and medical professions and government advice.

Things will be a little different than before as we are taking a number of precautions to ensure that your journey with us is as smooth and most importantly as SAFE and EFFICIENT as possible.

BEFORE ATTENDING THE PRACTICE

We will contact you to confirm your appointment a few days ahead of the scheduled time.

We will carry out a pre-attendance assessment via your completed standard medical and dental history form prior to your appointment. We ask that you complete these with up-to-date details before coming to New Malden Smiles. These forms will now be in an electronic format and we will no longer be using paper forms. They include a new form which will allow us to assess your level of risk of COVID-19 infection before you attend the surgery.

If we feel that you are at risk of having possibly been infected, even if you are asymptomatic, we will respectfully request you to delay booking any appointments with us for at least 2 weeks.

We recommend that patients in the high-risk groups for developing complications from COVID-19 delay non-essential dental treatment for as long as possible, until the trend of the pandemic becomes clear. If you are in a high risk group, and do require treatment, we will schedule your appointment at the beginning of the day.

ARRIVING AT THE PRACTICE

• When travelling to the practice, we recommend that you limit any close contact with other members of the public as much as possible. When you arrive at the practice, please call us on 020 8949 7679 to let us know you are here. Please do not bring additional family members with you unless they are happy to wait in the car or outside the building. One adult is able to attend with a child.

• If travelling by car, please remain in your car once you have parked and call or text the practice to let us know you are here. We will let you know when the dentist is ready for you.

• We will meet all patients at the front door. All dental staff will be wearing additional personal protective equipment in line with current recommendations and evidence.

• Our intention is to eliminate waiting inside the practice and at reception. Accordingly, appointments will be staggered to avoid patients meeting inside. When using the restroom please do your best to ensure that you leave the facilities as you would expect to find them and wash your hands thoroughly. The cloakroom will be regularly disinfected between patients.

• We will then take your temperature using a ‘no-touch’ infrared thermometer. This is a small device that we point at your head, and it tells us instantly what your temperature is. If your temperature is normal (37.8 degrees Celsius) you may proceed to your appointment, but if it is high, then we will need to reschedule your appointment.

We will request that you do the following before or during your appointment:

Use the hand sanitizer provided, or thoroughly wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water provided.
We may ask you to swish a mouthwash around your mouth before we continue with your treatment.
A dental dam or other barrier mechanism will be used for more procedures now than previously.

PRACTICE PROCEDURES

The New Malden Smiles team have spent time critically looking at every aspect of the practice with a view to removing all non-essential items that can potentially be the cause of infection.

You will find that the practice may appear to be quite bare when you attend.

All clinical and common areas including door handles and surfaces will be regularly disinfected in addition to our normal surface cleaning protocols between patients.

New Malden Smiles will be providing a buffer period between patients to allow time for additional decontamination procedures, allow for any treatment overruns, and allow preparation time for the next patient so that they do not need to wait in the reception area.

All your future appointments will be made and confirmed by email or telephone to limit your time spent at reception.

DENTAL PROCEDURES

All dental staff will be using personal protective equipment in line with current recommendations and evidence.

We apologise in advance for the necessary reduction in social interaction that this will necessitate. Whilst our masks may make us appear impersonal and distant, please be assured we are still the same friendly team underneath it all!

We are especially mindful that many dental treatments are aerosol-generating procedures (AGP's). It is difficult for us to carry out some dental procedures without generation of some level of aerosol. Aerosol suspended in the air is a theoretical source of infection which we obviously wish to keep to a minimum.

Current Dental Literature suggests:

• Our use of our normal high-volume suction reduces aerosol production by over 90%.

• The use of dental rubber dam where possible reduces bio aerosols by a further 30 to 90%.

• Our regular surgical facemasks filter approximately 60% of remaining airborne particles.

• FFP2 and FFP3 masks filter 94% and 99% respectively of airborne particles in both directions (patient to clinician and clinician to patient).

We therefore feel that our normal dental procedures can be carried out with minimal risk by the use of high-volume suction, rubber dam, surgical and FFP2 masks and, in aerosol generating procedures FFP3 masks as appropriate.

FEES

Despite the financial impact of the COVID-19, New Malden Smiles will not be increasing its normal fees unless absolutely necessary. However, the time taken to carry out treatment sessions may need to be extended, which will be included in the fees for your procedure. In addition, if you require an enhanced aerosol generating procedure (AGP) you may be charged an additional £40.00 for the use of enhanced PPE.

SUMMARY

The vast majority of our patients are otherwise healthy, without any COVID-19 infection. We are confident that we can provide dental care for these patients in as normal an environment as possible, whilst maintaining our responsibility to mitigate the risk of infection.

We will be constantly reviewing and updating our processes and procedures as necessary. When you have an appointment, you will be contacted by one of our team to help you through all these processes and procedures.

We are here to help you, and your health and safety are of paramount importance to us.

If you have any questions regarding your dental care at New Malden Smiles, please do not hesitate to contact us on NewMaldenSmiles@gmail.com or 52thedentalpractice@gmail.com.

Dr V. Shah

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Top tips for Home Dental Care

by Varsheet Shah • 15 April 2021

The most important part of dental care is to brush and floss or use inter-dental brushes only the teeth you want to keep! It's better to take your time cleaning your teeth twice a day (morning and night) rather than doing quick brush around three times a day. The routine of brushing should take on average 3 minutes, and flossing or using your interdental brushes could take up to 1-2 minutes. It is important that you take good care of brushing the part of the tooth that is next to the gum. And that you spend time cleaning each tooth on the outside and the inside. Very often we see patients that don't spend enough time cleaning the surface of the tooth that looks towards the tongue and palate, and consequently these are the areas that often have more gum damage. When you use your interdental brushes, make sure you use the larger one that fits the space, so that it's snug fit. Otherwise you won't be making the most of them. You should also keep going on to the last tooth at the back of your mouth- not just do the ones further to the front, which are easier to access! Remember food particles left between your teeth will break down and become acidic. Food does not have to be sugary or sweet to cause a cavity or form dental plaque. And plaque can be invisible and unnoticeable, therefore you're better off cleaning in between your teeth even if you don't think you have food particles in between your teeth. If you have dental implants replacing missing teeth, you should be able to clean in between them as if they were normal teeth. If you can't or you don't actually know which one is a tooth and which one is a dental implant, then please come to the clinic for a dental check up and we will show you the best way to avoid gum disease and bone loss around implants, something called peri-implantitis. Gum disease can reach an advanced and serious stage before you feel any pain or notice any bleeding during brushing that's why regular dental checkups are important. In the fight to control and stop gum disease from advancing, the time between dental visits should not exceed three months. Periodontists (gum disease specialists) have discovered that if you wait longer than 90 days between professional cleanings, a worsening of periodontal (gum) disease occurs because the bacteria become more damaging to the gums surrounding your teeth. Contact us for a dental health check.

Why Older Patients Want Cosmetic Dental Treatment

by Varsheet Shah • 4 January 2021

In the past decade there has been a significant increase in the number of patients over the age of 50 wanting cosmetic dental treatments. We look at some of the reasons why more adults are opting for dental cosmetic treatments and which treatments they prefer. Living Longer, Wanting to Look and Feel Our Best According to the Office for National Statistics, men can now expect to live for an average of 79.4 years and women can expect to live for an average of 83.1 years. With people living longer and with more people keeping their own teeth for longer, it is only natural that we want to maintain a healthy and attractive smile rather than surrendering to the likes of dentures, gaps or discoloured teeth. In the past, sixty may have been considered “old”, but not anymore. And with an emphasis in today’s society to be healthy and look your best, a natural, radiant smile is part of the package that makes us look and feel our best. So which treatments are proving popular with adults over 50? Dental Braces Gone are the days when braces were “train-tracks” suitable only for children and teenagers. More adults are now having orthodontic treatment than ever before. The reasons can be varied: Many adults feel that it is now their time to focus on their own appearance, some want to look after their own teeth well into old age, others want to rectify crooked teeth that they didn’t treat when they were younger. The improvements in dental technology is a definite draw; there is now a wide selection of dental braces which are clear or practically invisible and treatment time is faster than ever. Dental Implants Dental implants are popular with those patients who have gaps in their teeth or have missing teeth. A beautiful smile is becoming more important than ever to the way we look and feel. According to the Oral Health Foundation, smiles and teeth are the second most attractive feature with personality at the top. Adult patients are no longer willing to put up with ugly gaps in their teeth or an unattractive smile and for this reason more patients are investing in dental implants to protect the long-term state of their oral health as well as increase the attractiveness of their teeth for as long as possible. Teeth Whitening Teeth whitening has become perhaps the most fashionable cosmetic treatment because it’s so quick and gentle and one that gets almost instant results. Teeth that are yellow or stained, can be whitened and brightened relatively quickly using a teeth whitening solution. There are three main whitening treatments available which include a home whitening kit, a treatment which is applied at the surgery and another which combines home and dental treatment. Find out more about teeth whitening. Veneers Veneers are another form of cosmetic treatment for teeth which are being used by adult patients who want to improve their smiles. Veneers are an excellent way to correct a number of problems such as gaps between the teeth, discolouration or teeth that are slightly crooked. Custom-made by your dentist, veneers are placed on top of the teeth to create a natural looking and radiant smile. Veneers are often chosen by celebrities to give a dazzling Hollywood smile and they are now equally accessible to any of us too. No matter what your age, people are realising that healthy, beautiful teeth look attractive to others and boost our confidence. It is worth the investment to have an attractive smile which will last. Contact us or speak to the dentist to find out how we can help transform your teeth and improve your smile that will last you a lifetime!