Dotty About Smiles

We are glad to inform you that Dover Priory Dental Practice remains fully open through the January 2021 lockdown. Essential travel includes leaving home for Healthcare therefore you are permitted to travel to the Dental Surgery.

We are excited to remain open but we want to be clear about the enhanced procedures we are undertaking to keep all patients and staff safe and healthy. 

Since the first lockdown ended in 2020 we have worked extremely hard to source all the PPE required to treat you safely and have also invested significantly in new technical equipment for your safety. The treatments you are offered may be different to those you received before, depending on individual risk assessment personalised to each patient. It will take some time before services return to what you previously experienced as normal. We will be giving priority to patients who are in need of urgent care. 

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our surgery. Our infection control processes are designed to keep you safe and our practice follows the strictest and most current infection control guidelines. 

There will be an additional charge for PPE which will be in place till the end of the year. This charge will represent a fraction of the cost of additional PPE which we unfortunately now require. 

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. These changes are to help protect our patients and staff. 

For example: 

· Our practice will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again at your appointment. 

· We have hand sanitiser that we will ask you to use when you enter the practice. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the practice for you to use as needed. We will also check your temperature with a non-contact thermometer on arrival. 

· We no longer offer magazines as these items are difficult to clean and disinfect. 

· Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment. 

We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. 

How you can help: 

• With the exception of children and patients with carers, patients should come alone 

• A distance of at least 2 metres must be observed if another patient is present in the dental practice 

• Payment should be made by card where possible 

. Please be patient and cooperate with all screening protocol, it is for your own safety 

• Staff will not shake your hand and will remind you to sanitise your hands 

• If you show symptoms following appointment booking, you should contact the practice by phone 

• Please do not arrive early to the practice. If necessary, you should wait outside the practice 

• Please do not arrive without an appointment, contact us via telephone instead. 

We look forward to seeing you soon!