Current information on the COVID-19 (Corona) situation

Update: 5th of January 2021, from Prof Dr. Christian J. Mehl, Principal Dentist

Dear patients,

First of all, I would like to wish you all a very good start into the year 2021 and I hope that we will leave the tumultuous time of 2020 behind us soon.

Dentists have been classified by HM Government as essential workers in November 2020 (with the addition that we have always been essential workers).

That means:

We will remain open in any lockdown or in any Tier as there are no restrictions with regards to medical treatment. We encourage all our patients to keep your appointments unless you are self-isolating.

Since reopening in June we expanded our level of PPE and boosted our already high standards of cross infection control.

What happens next? 

We recommend you to attend your appointments as scheduled. Our excellent infection control procedures along with a robust triaging policy has been designed to ensure the safety of both patients and staff. If you are worried about your attendance please contact us to discuss your concerns and we can always postpone your treatment. We continue to recommend that patients in the high-risk category delay non-essential treatment until further guidance has been given by the relevant authorities.

When you arrive:

We advise that you wear a mask at all times while inside the dental practice and only remove your mask at the request of the dental professional. We will continue to check your temperature and if this is above 37.8C, you will be advised to rebook your treatment and to follow government guidelines. Please do not arrive more than 10 minutes early for an appointment due to social distancing guidelines. As you enter the building you will need to use the alcohol disinfectant rub to disinfect your hands. The treatment rooms will be prepared prior to your appointment with all surfaces disinfected after each patient. The windows in the surgeries will remain open so you may want to come with warm clothing. We have sourced PPE and unlike the start of the Pandemic (March 2020 in the UK), there is no shortage. 

Stay safe and please contact us if you have any questions.

Your Wimpole Street Dental Clinic Team

The COVID-19 virus can have different effects on everyone. Most infected people develop mild to moderate symptoms and get well without hospitalisation. 

We would like you not to visit our practice if you have one of the following symptoms.

Most common symptoms:

• fever
• dry cough
• fatigue
• loss of smell or taste

Less common symptoms:

• body aches
• sore throat
• diarrhoea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• discolouration on fingers or toes or rash

We would like you to call 111 and /or your doctor immediately if you have shown some of the severe symptoms below:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or feeling of pressure in the chest area
• Loss of ability to speak or move
• If you have severe symptoms, contact a doctor immediately. In any case, call the doctor’s office or medical facility before visiting them.

On average, 4-6 days pass from infection with the virus until symptoms appear in one person. However, it can also take up to 14 days.

We would like you not to visit our practice if you have:

Been in contact with a confirmed coronavirus case

or

been in an area or hotspot where the new coronavirus has spread in the past two weeks

If so, call us first on 020 3745 7455 or email us (reception@wsdental.clinic)

We will then discuss the further procedure with you!

Why?

The spread of the new type of corona virus is currently declining in the UK, but we still have to be vigilant. People who are infected with the virus can infect their fellow human beings through sneezing, coughing and maybe through physical contact (handshake).

If you have cold symptoms and have either been in an affected area for the past 14 days or have had contact with (possibly) an infected person, it is necessary to clarify whether you have Covid-19.

Again you can call 111 or us from home and find out more.

If you find out that someone who has been in contact with the corona virus within the past 14 days has infected you, please report it immediately to the relevant authorities – regardless of the symptoms or the telephone number 111.

With your cooperation, you can help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

At this point, we ask for your understanding of the necessary protective measures and wish you that you can get through these difficult times unscathed.

Your team from Wimpole Street Dental Clinic