Dear Valued patients
Great news for SSS Clinic, we are going to re-open to see patients from the 8th June 2020.
We really appreciate your patience whilst we have had to suspend visits to the practice, and we
hope that you understand the measures we will need to put in place in order to safely carry out the
practice of dentistry. We have had to wait for clear directives from the Chief Dental Officer, whilst
equipping ourselves with the appropriate PPE and finally, we can announce that we have plans to re-
open.
We will be working under clear guidance from the dental governing bodies, following research and
evidence based practices as far as possible and in order to safely provide you with the dental care
that you need.
We will limit the number of patients being seen to only 1 patient at a time as well as the number
of staff working at any one time, this means that no one else apart from you will attend our
premises until you have happily left the clinic.
Initially we will only be opening for management of urgent dental problems. We will not be carrying
out routine aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) just yet due to a perceived but unproven risk of
transmission of the coronavirus via dental aerosol generating equipment such as ultrasonic scalers
and air and water fast turbine drills and other equipment that sprays air and water.
However we will treat urgent dental problems as an exception to this rule and we will employ special
measures to limit the spread of aerosols and spatter to nearby surfaces and of course to our staff by
using high volume suctioning both on the inside and outside of the immediate area of the mouth.
At Stunning Smile & Skin Clinic, the safety of all of our patients and team members is our number
one priority. In order to achieve this, we’ve spent countless hours reviewing everything we do in
great detail in the last few weeks.
In March, April and May 2020, Dr Dariush Hoshyar has been actively involved in a group of 140
private dentists called Pandora Dental, studying global referencing on safe standards of procedure.
We are proud to have created a “gold standard” of safety and patient care to be effective against
Covid-19.
These are some of the important changes you will see when you visit us for dental care: –
Checking your health & wellbeing
We will ask you a few questions about your experience with Covid-19, how you feel and if your
family members have been well. We want to provide dental care for our patients when it is safe to
do so. However, with careful diary management, we are prepared for everyone; including the elderly
and those with more a complex medical history.
Contactless journey
Social distancing is important. We will help you with appointments, consents, and financial matters
from the comfort of your home.
Virtual Consultations
We can do new patient video consultations, so that we can answer many of your questions even
before you visit us.
Clean air systems
We have invested in high quality, modern clean air technology https://dentair.co.uk/– this will
ensure there is clean and purified air in our practice. This machine will remove 99.99% of respiratory
viruses including Coronavirus.
Clean water systems
Our dental waterlines have always involved the use of independent bottled distilled water system
with an antimicrobial agent to prevent germs such as Legionella and other bacterial or viral agents
growing in the fine tubing of our dental equipment.This may be the reason why to this day we have
not heard of a single case of a patient contracting Covid19 infection from a dental procedure.
Surface disinfection
After extensive research, we have chosen Salvesan (www.aqualution.co.uk) as our surface
disinfectant. It is proven to kill all germs by 99.99% within minutes. It is effective against Coronavirus
and it is environmentally safe.
Antimicrobial mouth rinse
Before we carry out any examinations or treatments, you will be asked to use a mouth rinse, since it
has been scientifically demonstrated that coronavirus resides in the oral and nasal passages where it
will have the potential to spread through unwashed hands and activities such as talking, coughing,
singing, sneezing when people are within 2 metres of each other.
PPE
We have purchased suitable masks, gowns, visors, goggles, hats, shoe covers, hand washing soaps,
etc. The dentist, hygienist and nurse will be well prepared for your dental treatment.
Longer appointments
We are committed to providing high quality dentistry and skin treatments with long lasting results.
Also, we will spend longer time cleaning the treatment room between patients for your added
confidence and peace of mind.
Clutter free environment
Our environment will be even more clutter free. This ensures that our staff and cleaners will be able
to keep surfaces clean and disinfected much more efficiently.
Our busy diary
After being closed during the lockdown period, we know that we will be very busy when we return.
Many of our patients have uncompleted treatments, dental emergencies that could not have been
attended to properly, and new patients keen to visit us. We have also had to cancel all of our
hygienist appointments for some months.
Summary
So, as we get more serious in the fight against Covid-19, we will maintain our customary friendly,
professional and relaxed approach to patient care. We know it is a big deal to go to the dentist in the
first place. However, Covid-19 should not be a worry for you at Stunning Smile & Skin Clinic.
Here are some important questions set out for you regarding your
future visits:-
Will it be safe to come to the practice?
We are taking the required measures to ensure that you and the clinicians and staff are kept as safe
as possible throughout your visit.
What will happen before my next visit?
Before your next visit we will contact you by telephone to triage your medical health including your
COVID risks including any vulnerability issues, and assess the length and type of treatment you will
need.
How will I pay for my treatment safely?
You will be required to pay for your planned treatment by telephone before your visit. Any
adjustments will be made after your visit. This will be done safely at the reception before you leave.
What will be different about my next visit?
We will ask you to stay outside the practice preferably in your car until we phone to ask you to come
inside. You will be asked to leave any personal belongings outside with someone else as far as
possible. You will also be asked to use the toilet at home before you arrive.
YOU WILL HAVE YOUR
TEMPERATURE TESTED AT THE DOOR PRIOR TO ENTRY.
You will be asked to sanitise your hands and then taken to the treatment room.
The clinician will check your teeth to ascertain exactly what they need to do and obtain consent prior
to proceeding.
Further instructions regarding your future visits will be given to you nearer the time of your next
appointment.
Will I be able to talk to the dentist/hygienist before my treatment about my concerns?
Where appropriate, you may also have a video call or telephone call from the dentist who will be
seeing you, prior to your visit. This will provide opportunity to talk about your concerns and any
dental issues you have, in order to establish as far as possible what treatment you will require.
The clinicians and the staff will be wearing appropriate PPE which includes a full face visor, mask,
gown/apron and hair protection and this may seem different to previous visits. This will mean we
minimise the time for discussion whilst in the surgery.
After your treatment, the clinician may want to give you a follow up call to discuss further visits for
other procedures, and this will give you the opportunity to ask any further questions.
What does the term ‘aerosol generating procedures’ mean and why is this important?
Any dental procedure that creates droplets or a fine invisible mist of particles in the air is called an
aerosol generating procedure or AGP. The aerosols produced will carry viruses along with other
particles into the air. The most common AGP’s are the ultrasonic scaler, drilling a tooth, spraying a
tooth with air/water, as well as any procedure that may induce coughing.
If I need to have a scale and polish will this be possible?
Once we are able to carry out non-emergency procedures, we will be providing hygiene
appointments. We may use the hand scalers to clean your teeth, until we are able to carry out
scaling using the ultrasonic scaler, as this procedure carries the highest exposure risk for potential
transmission of COVID-19. We may initially have to avoid polishing your teeth, but will provide polish
for you to use with your electric tooth brush at home.
Will my visit cost me more?
In order to provide your dental treatment in a manner that protects you, other patients, the staff
and clinicians, we have had to be equipped with extra PPE which means further costs. Whilst we
want to avoid unnecessary increases in costs, we have costed out for each procedure, exactly what
extra costs will be incurred, for such things as surgical gowns/FFP3/FFP2 masks, Visors and other
protective wear and we will add this cost onto your treatment and advise you of this, prior to your
visit. We hope that you will appreciate our reasons for this.