top of page

LWT and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

Dental services across England have reopened, however this does not mean that capacity is back to normal. We are currently working our way through a backlog of treatment that has accumulated during the course of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

​

Our latest patient email update circulated on Friday 9th October 2020 outlines the current working arrangements at the practice, and reads as follows:

​

Dear all, 

 

We sincerely hope that you and your families are keeping well. 

 

Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your patience during this difficult time. Due to an increasing number of enquiries, it is clearly time for an update as to what is happening with the services that we are able to offer at the practice. We realise that for most of our patients, it is likely to have been some time since your last visit. Although we are in the midst of very uncertain and challenging times, please be reassured we are doing everything we can to try to resume our services as best as we can, in the safest way for all. 

 

Our plan over the coming months is to continue to prioritise our patients who are having dental emergencies. We are also now in a position to make arrangements to see those patients who were mid-way through treatment at the point of lockdown. Once we have completed these treatment courses, we will then be heading into our next phase by restarting routine dental care, including examinations, with an emphasis initially on those with the highest risks.  

 

This process of restarting the practice is a huge logistical task. We have been able to increase our sessions recently to accommodate this, but we would ask that our patients consider that it is incredibly difficult to serve over 12,000 patients, whilst adhering to the strict infection procedures imposed on us as a profession. These protocols are severely hampering the provision of our routine processes, for example after every aerosol-generating procedure, we still are required to leave the surgery to settle as part of a 1-hour “fallow time” before a full surgery clean-down. All these strict infection control processes are in place to protect all of us, but they do mean that our capacity on a daily basis is significantly reduced. 

 

We have now opened up 2 more of our surgeries and increased our staffing levels accordingly. As you can imagine, however, we are still facing many difficulties in resuming anything resembling normality with these procedures in place. Normality may still take some time to reach. 

 

We would like to reassure you that all these measures are taken to ensure the absolute safety of both patients and our team. 

 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for your patience. 

 

We look forward to seeing you soon 

 

Yours sincerely 

 

LWT Dental Care

 

For our patients who come into difficulties, during this time, we are operating an initial telephone triage service. The practice landline (0114 266 2853) is answered during normal working hours, and triaged appropriately. If necessary, a member of the clinical team will contact you as soon as possible, and discuss any problems over the phone. Should it be necessary, we have an ability to prescribe medication remotely (collected locally at the Sheffield Late Night Pharmacy in Broomhill), but for those requiring urgent face-to-face care we continue to prioritise emergency care. 

​

We understand that this could prove to be a difficult time for our patients, especially those that experience problems during the pandemic. The British Dental Association has produced some helpful advice for patients, which may be found here.

​

Below, please find a list of common dental problems and some helpful advice to try:​

TOOTHACHE

  • Regular painkillers if you need them

  • Good oral hygiene with a fluoridated toothpaste and reducing intake sugar will help ensure decay (if present) won't worsen 

BLEEDING AFTER EXTRACTION

  • Bleeding tends to respond well to pressure. Bite on a clean cloth firmly for 30 minutes. If this doesn't work, call us back

  • Pink saliva and a little bit of oozing from the extraction site is normal 

LOST CROWN / POST CROWN / VENEER

  • Toofypegs can be used to restick lost crowns and veneers at home

  • Good oral hygiene and a low sugar diet will help prevent the tooth underneath from getting decayed

PAIN AFTER EXTRACTION

  • Regular painkillers. It is normal for pain to be at its worst on days 3-4

  • Rinse gently with saltwater (a teaspoon of salt in a medium glass of warm water) after meals

  • If pain is getting worse after a week, call us back

ULCERS

  • Apply Bonjela on the area that is painful before meals in particular

  • Maintain good oral hygiene

  • Take regular painkillers if needed

  • Rinse with saltwater to prevent infection

  • Use Difflam mouthwash to help with pain which can be bought from the pharmacy

  • Call us back if the ulcer does not ease after 3-4 days

BLEEDING GUMS

  • This is usually the result of gingivitis or gum disease. Gums will not stop bleeding until your oral hygiene improves. Brush your teeth and gums twice a day, spending extra time on the ones that bleed.

  • Invest in some interdental brushes or floss to clean in between your teeth

DENTURES RUBBING OR LOOSE

  • Consider using a fixative for loose dentures like fixadent

  • Seabond denture pads may also make a denture more comfortable or stable

  • Any sharp or rough bits can be adjusted at home carefully with an emery board

  • Leave your denture out if its too sore to wear

REGULAR PAINKILLERS

​Adults

  • Paracetamol 1g 4 times daily

  • Ibuprofen 400mg 3 times daily

  • **Paracetamol and Ibuprofen can be alternated for maximum pain effectiveness

  • Co-codamol 8/500 4 times daily (on its own, not with Paracetamol or Ibuprofen)

Always seek medical advice on the suitability of pain relief and dosages before taking 

SENSITIVITY

  • Teeth can be sensitive due to receding gums, large fillings or decay

  • Try placing Sensodyne toothpaste or another sensitive toothpaste on the sensitive areas and leaving it on overnight

  • Use regular painkillers if you need them

  • Maintain good oral hygiene and limit sugar in your diet to prevent any decay from getting worse

SWELLING

  • You are likely to require medication for this, dependent on the history. Contact the practice, and we will triage and advise appropriately

bottom of page