Re-Opening Of The Riley Dental Studio …

As many of you will now know the Government and the Chief Dental Officer announced on Thursday 28^th May that dental practices can re-open from the 8th of June 2020. Unfortunately the dental profession were not consulted or informed of this announcement in advance. Whilst we are both relieved and delighted that a date for re-opening dental practices has finally been provided, it is important that I also take this opportunity to manage everybody’s expectations. You can rest assured that behind the scenes I have instigated a comprehensive re-think in the light of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Firstly, the re-opening of The Riley Dental Studio and our return to work will certainly be a phased one until I am completely satisfied that the environment is as safe as I can possibly achieve for my clients and staff. The practice already has a very high standard of infection control and health and safety in place but during our closure I have invested in additional equipment including air purifiers and extra high volume suction systems to further reduce the potential spread of this virus.  This equipment is above and beyond the basic national standards required.

The lack of notice regarding the re-opening is placing tremendous pressure on the profession in terms of readiness. Staff training, testing, risk assessments and updating protocols are all under way but need constantly updating due to shifting requirements. We are still awaiting the formal evidence-based guidance on the specific protocols and enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) that will be required to deliver safe care to our patients whilst also protecting the safety of our team. In addition the availability of appropriate PPE is also a significant challenge at the moment.

At this stage, I do not believe that we will be in a position to offer any routine dental appointments until 1st July 2020 at the earliest.  However, the current situation is very fluid and is changing on a daily basis so we will keep you updated on any developments. So appointments initially will be strictly prioritised to help those patients that have experienced significant dental problems during the last 2 months of lockdown and who now require our urgent care & attention.

In summary, our clinic will only be operating a ‘soft’ re-opening schedule and approach. Following our initial focused attention on emergency dental needs, and as part of our phased return we will then start to see more routine dental health exams and simple treatments being performed, Invisalign reviews, and some basic hygiene services. The final stage of clinical return will see all treatments resume including more complex procedures, full Invisalign treatments, extensive hygiene and elective cosmetic dentistry.

Team Riley will be doing everything possible to accommodate your requirements moving forwards. If you are experiencing any dental problems or emergencies the best way to contact us is via the normal main practice number – 01782 374330.