Mullan Gallagher Dental Care

high quality affordable dental care for all our patients

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Dentistry Re-Opening FAQ’S

1. How are you prioritising appointments?

Pain relief and emergency treatment will always be our first priority and we will reserve a slot for patients in pain every day.
Patients who had their treatment appointments cancelled due to lockdown will be scheduled first, followed by patients who had problems which we stabilised during lockdown and who now need a more permanent treatment, after that we will reschedule all examination appointments. 
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2. My appointment is in August and you are now going to be open, why have you cancelled my check-up?

Social distancing, fallow time (the requirement to leave a surgery to ‘settle’ after any drilling or ultrasonic scaling has been done ) and enhanced PPE which must be put on and taken off in a specific order means that we have had to completely clear our diaries and start again with scheduling and planning. Every appointment during this initial phase of reopening will be assessed and booked by the treating dentist to ensure that it is the appropriate length of time, that the PPE required is available and that an appropriate time slot is scheduled.
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3. Can I have my hygienist and examination on the same day?

We have a much reduced capacity and limited availability due to social distancing and fallow time, so it may be tricky to co-ordinate your hygienist and examination appointments, if you are happy to split the visits this time, we are likely to get you in sooner. We suggest that you prioritise your hygienist appointment, prevention is better than cure. Chloe our hygienist is also a qualified dental therapist very skilled in identifying dental issues so she will alert the dentist to any problems ahead of your scheduled check-up.
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4. What happens if I cancel my appointment?

We ask that you try your best to attend the appointment that has been allocated for you, If you need to reschedule, the next available one may be quite far away as social distancing limits our capacity. We understand that sometimes due to circumstances beyond your control you cannot make your appointments, please could you give us as much notice as possible so we can allocate your clinician’s limited time to another patient.
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5. Why am I being triaged before I can book and appointment?

Current guidance means that if we use our drills and create an aerosol we have to leave the air in the dental surgery to settle for an hour after treatment, following this we thoroughly clean the room and get ready for the next patient (this is under review and we hope it will reduce to 30mins soon) As you can imagine this ‘fallow’ time creates many scheduling difficulties and must be allowed for when we book, hence the careful pre-appointment triage.
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6. Is there anything I need to do before my appointment?

Yes, please watch our video (link here) and carefully read our pre-appointment instructions (hyperlink here). Please make yourself available for a phone-call the day before your treatment so your dentist can run through a questionnaire to check your Covid status. If it is difficult for you to take a phone call please return the questionnaire attached to your appointment confirmation e-mail no earlier than 24 hours before your appointment (also via e-mail ). If we cannot confirm your Covid status ahead of your appointment we may allocated this time to another patient.
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7. What happens when I attend my appointment?

  • When you arrive in our car park, please phone us to say you are here and wait in your car, if you do not have a vehicle to wait in, we can accommodate up to 10 people suitably socially distanced in our spacious waiting room.
  • We will phone and let you know when we are ready for you and invite you to enter the practice, please leave coats bags and other belongings out of sight in your car bringing a few belongings into the building as possible.
  • We will ask you to use a hand sanitiser rub and we will place your small items in a bag.
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8. How can I keep in touch with the practice to hear about the changes?

For the most current updates as they happen please follow us on Facebook and Instagram, we usually post news on these channels twice weekly, detailed information about the practice can be found on our website (insert link here). If you are receiving this newsletter, we have your e-mail and we will of course contact you with any major changes.
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New Patient Journey

Dentistry will reopen in a phased fashion.

Phase 2a: (8th June) Urgent and emergency dental care in practices without drills and referral to an urgent dental care centre as necessary.

Phase 2b: (date to be confirmed) routine dental care resumes without ultrasonics scalers and drills (referral to an urgent dental care centre for emergency care as necessary).

Phase 3 (date to be confirmed) All aspects of dental care resume in practices

Pre-appointment Instructions

Before your appointment: Our reception team will call you check your medical history, see if you are having any trouble and to complete as much of the necessary administration as possible before your visit.
Before you leave home: Good preparation at home will reduce the time spent in communal area in Mullan Gallagher and facilitate social distancing

  • Clean your teeth as it will not be possible for you to do so at the practice.
  • Go to the toilet. Ideally we would ask that you do not use the Mullan Gallagher toilet facilities but if that is not possible, please do so before your appointment and avoid using our facilities afterwards.
  • Order any oral health supplies from home via phone or email so that we can have them ready for you to collect after your appointment.
  • Complete any paperwork at home and e-mail it back or have it ready to hand to our Receptionist on arrival.
  • Do not bring anyone with you if this can be avoided. If a family member drives you to the practice, they should wait in the car; we will of course welcome carers who may need to accompany you.
  • Please come with adequate clothing for a chilly environment even on a warm day. Our team may be wearing extra layers of PPE so the room could be much cooler than normal.We ask that you please pay for your appointment before you leave the practice. We only accept card payments at this time.

On Arrival:

  • When you arrive in our car park, please phone us to say you are here and wait in your car, if you do not have a vehicle to wait in, let us know so we can accommodate you in our socially distanced waiting room.
  • We will phone and let you know when we are ready for you and invite you to enter the practice, please leave coats bags and other belongings out of sight in your car bringing a few belongings into the building as possible.
  • We will ask you to use a hand sanitiser rub and we will place your small items in a bag

Your Appointment:

  • We will invite you straight into the dental surgery which has been prepared to provide a safe environment for you.
  • Your dentist and nurse will be speaking through their masks so please let us know if you are unable to hear us clearly
  • We will provide you with a mouthwash to rinse with for 1 minute before starting treatment.
  • At the end of your procedure you will be asked to sanitise your hands before leaving the surgery
  • We will ask you to go to reception to pay using your debit or credit card.
  • We will call you shortly after your appointment to arrange your next visit and will email or post treatment plans to you.

Dental surgeries have always operated to the highest levels of infection control and decontamination, we are used to working in an environment where there is the potential for exposure to viruses and bacteria and doing everything possible to reduce the risk to our team and to our patients, and we do it well.

We look forward to welcoming you back

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