Local MP Maria Miller questioned the Secretary of State for Health during Urgent Questions in Parliament on Government’s plans to reopen dental practices.
Maria said “I have spoken to local dentists in Basingstoke who feel that they have correct personal protection equipment and working conditions to be able to provide emergency treatment that many of their patients need. Can the Secretary of State outline the plans for re-opening dental practices?”
The Secretary of State has undertaken to write to Maria to provide government’s plans for re-opening dentistry .
During the Covid-19 pandemic all routine NHS and private dentistry has stopped. However, the NHS is continuing to provide urgent and emergency dental care, both to NHS and private patients.
If patients have a dental emergency, they should call the dental practice they normally attend during their opening hours for further advice. If they do not have a regular dentist they can search for a local dentist on the NHS website and call them. In the evening and at weekends patients can contact NHS 111 who will provide advice and direct patients to an out of hours service if necessary.
When patients call a practice, a dentist will carry out a telephone triage with them to assess their needs. The dentist will be able to offer advice or prescribe medication to relieve any pain or to treat an infection, or to decide that they need to be referred for treatment at an urgent care centre.