Advice for Patients Attending Newnham Dental Practice

The whole team continues to work hard to ensure that your visit to the dental practice will be a pleasant, effective, and most importantly a safe experience.

The procedures and protocols that were routinely part of safe delivery of dental care are already well developed and practiced at Newnham dental practice. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have upgraded these routines to ensure that we are offering you the latest in safe dental environments. The risk of virus particle contamination is managed carefully in all areas of the building and surgeries.

If you are unwell for any reason it is better to not come to the Dental Practice. If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19 please reschedule your appointment.

How we will look after you before, during and after your visit

Before your appointment:

• Our reception team will call you to complete as much of the necessary administration as possible before your visit.

Preparation at home:

We encourage you to:

• Visit the bathroom and clean your teeth at home before attending your appointment.
• Complete any paperwork at home and have it ready to hand to our Receptionist on arrival.
• Do not bring anyone with you if this can be avoided. If a family member drives you to the practice, they should wait in the car; we will of course welcome carers who may need to accompany you.
• Please come with adequate clothing for a chilly environment even on a warm day.
• We ask that you please pay for your appointment before you leave the practice.

On Arrival:

• You are not required to wear a mask, however we recommend that you do.
• Many of us looking after you may still choose to wear a mask.

Your Appointment:

• Your dental surgery will have been prepared to provide a safe environment for you.
• We will ask you to place your personal belongings in a plastic box.
• Your dentist and nurse will be speaking through their masks so please let us know if you are unable to hear us clearly.

Failure to attend / Late attendance

We will always try to see you, however, sometimes it is not possible to complete treatment safely if you attend too late for your appointment.

Reminders are a courtesy service. We have replaced the letter reminders with emails /sms. Please ensure that you keep a note of your appointment time and date. Not receiving a reminder is not a valid reason for not attending an appointment.

If unable to attend, please reschedule with more than 48 hours notice so that the appointment can be dedicated to other patients.

Late attendance/failure to attend appointments are charged to cover our overheads (Denplan & Private patients) as per below:

• Examinations & Hygiene appointments £40
• Treatments: 50% of treatment fees.

Our friendly reception team are available to answer any questions  and we look forward to seeing you soon!

DENTAL HEALTH ADVISE

Some oral health tips to prevent dental treatment

• Be careful when it comes to snacking; It takes 1 hour for the pH to stabilise in the mouth after eating, and so you will be at risk of dental decay for one hour following intake of any foods/drinks (except water). You can use a fluoride mouthwash after meals (please follow the instructions on the bottle) to shorten the 1 hour window.
• Use a Waterpik after intake of foods. It is super easy to use and quick!
• Use an electric toothbrush (I recommend Oral B). Studies show that they are more efficient than manual toothbrushes.
  Plaque is more prone to building up behind the lower front teeth. It helps to therefore brush twice on the inside of these teeth (once on the upper part of the teeth and once over the lower part of the teeth).
• Sip on water regularly should you feel that your mouth is dry
• Stress tends to build up around the shoulders and necks and sometimes this is due to tooth-grinding. Tooth-grinding/clenching can cause pain in the jaw, neck, and shoulders. It can also cause tooth wear and breakages. We usually would provide you with a customised soft bite guard if there is a sign of tooth wear. You can as an option during this time opt for ready-made night guards (available at boots). This will protect your teeth and hopefully help relieve your symptoms. How do you know if you are grinding/clenching? Your teeth should be slightly apart when you are not eating. People who grind/clench will not have a gap between the teeth when in a resting state.
• If you find that you are like me (loves tea and coffee), you may during this time find that your teeth are staining/yellowing. Please refrain from using whitening toothpaste as this can cause damage to your enamel and also tends to make your teeth more sensitive. Over the counter whitening gels are not advisable as they can be damaging/not effective. You can discuss professional teeth-whitening with us or book a session for a fine stain removal polish with the hygienist (this is an add-on service to your regular hygiene appointment). I have tried it and highly recommend it!