Oral cancer, Oral health, Dental neglect, Open Dental Practices

Dental practices were ordered to shut down in March and since then all the good work that has been done in Scotland for Oral cancer screening, Oral health and well-being improvement, Dental care, promotion and treatment in children and adults have gone back to the dark ages. Some urgent care centres only load poor patients with antibiotics for conditions that don’t respond to antibiotics and need dental treatment. The risk of antibiotic resistance is rocketing. Some members of our community are in pain with no access to dental care. Child dental screening has stopped increasing the risk of neglect. Please let dental practices open for routine screening and provision of dental care with waiting room social distancing rules.

Why the contribution is important

Oral health is an important part of public health. Oral diseases are the most common of the chronic diseases and are important public health problems because of their prevalence, their impact on individuals and society, and the expense of their treatment according to WHO. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today and leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality (WHO). The longer the dental practices are closed, the more, the risk of oral disease deterioration, child neglect, antibiotic resistance. These will be morally, ethically and professionally wrong.

by NS on May 09, 2020 at 10:15AM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.7
Based on: 24 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Shannonxo May 09, 2020 at 10:26

    Yes, totally agree. I started receiving quite important dental treatment before COVID-19 happened and then it had to be postponed which means my teeth and mouth have deteriorated and all the hard work is lost as even if I am brushing and flossing and keeping clean, there is some damage that is irreversible without the treatment it will only get worsen and childrens teeth are so important so that they don't end up like that.

  • Posted by CarrieFortune May 09, 2020 at 10:28

    I am scared of going back to dentist as this is very risky as there’s a lot of saliva at the dentist.

  • Posted by Eimear May 09, 2020 at 10:42

    Dentists have always adhered to the highest level of cross infection control. We routinely wear gloves and masks unlike GP’s and they are face to face with sick people. Even further levels of cross infection control will be undertaken as ensuring the safety of patients and staff are of paramount concern to us as dental professionals

  • Posted by scotchick May 09, 2020 at 10:43

    Given the poor dental health in Scotland and the health implications of people not being able to go to the dentist I believe that it is crucial that dental practices open as soon as possible.

  • Posted by aland May 09, 2020 at 11:17

    Dentists have avoided transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and vCJD over the last 35 years in their surgeries. They take cross infection controls seriously.
    The current situation whereby only Health Board staffed centres are being used is wasting a hugely skilled and useful workforce. The same emergency treatments can be done in General Practice with no real increase in population contacts.
    Going forward , in-surgery testing for
    antigen/antibody presence in patients and workforce is required. A check up one day and treatment same/following day depending on speed of testing would allow aerosol generation in those patients who test negative for antigen or positive for antibody presence.

  • Posted by FM79 May 09, 2020 at 11:33

    Dentists already work to an extremely high standard og infection control. No reason not to reopen and start services back up. This is an essential health provision and needs to be made available now.

  • Posted by Callendar May 09, 2020 at 12:05

    Like schools if we could test staff and patients and show no active virus we could access this service.

  • Posted by davidcoffield May 09, 2020 at 12:29

    My own dentist and hygenist were already very careful with masks and goggles etc so I'm not getting this complete shutdown as I'm sure they can continue to move safely and as we're all much more conscious of it now I'm sure we will do.

  • Posted by AnnieMc May 09, 2020 at 12:43

    This is essential health care . Give Dental Practices the support and PPE they need to enable them to get back to treating patients safely.
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