GET TING TO THE ‘ROOT’ OF DENTAL CARE
In the middle of the pandemic, patients are facing a real dentistry crisis: one that will lead to pharmacists - once again - being left to assist with oral care…
P
atients are facing a hidden dentistry crisis: one that is being fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic – a situation that will lead to a
rise in oral cancer in coming months and years, according to dentists.
There is no doubt that the pandemic has compounded previous issues about access to dental services, as it has resulted in reduced capacity. Throughout the last eighteen months, there has been an increase in feedback from the public expressing difficulties in accessing dental care during the pandemic: difficulties, which have had a major impact on people’s general health and wellbeing.
What caused the crisis in oral care? On 18 March 2020, general dental practitioners were informed to restrict the provision of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). On 23 March 2020, they were instructed to cease all AGPs and routine dental treatments were postponed.
From that date, the provision of face-to-face treatment within general dental practice was
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restricted to urgent and emergency dental conditions that could not be managed remotely and in which a non-AGP could address the patient’s dental need.
The rebuilding of dental services commenced in phases from 8 June 2020. From 20 July 2020, routine dental care was offered and AGPs provided in general dental practice.
The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on dental practices has, however, had an impact on General Dental Service (GDS) item of service (IoS) activity levels and the number of patients seen over the last financial year.
Now the British Dental Association (BDA) has called on the four Chief Dental Officers in the United Kingdom to collectively commission the respected Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) to develop a roadmap for safe relaxation of current restrictions currently limiting access to dentistry across the UK.
In a message to the CDOs of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the BDA has stressed that SDCEP is now best placed to review any new scientific literature and also assess the wider prevailing conditions, and produce recommendations for IPC de-escalation that are founded on the best available evidence, but also take into account expert views of a safe yet pragmatic way forward for dentistry.
The BDA has said this review should include but not be limited to: • Community infection, transmission and vaccination rates, as well as the threat posed by emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.
• The relevance of AGPs to COVID-19 transmission. Evidence is accumulating that infective aerosols arise principally from coughing by COVID-positive patients, with medical interventions posing a relatively very low risk. This suggests that high-level PPE might not be necessary in dentistry except for the treatment of patients known or considered likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2.
THE PANDEMIC HAS COMPOUNDED PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT ACCESS TO DENTAL SERVICES
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