Dentists and dental surgery guidance

Dentists can continue urgent and routine dental care, in a way that is safe, operationally deliverable and allows dental practices flexibility to do what is best for patients and their teams. Progression to the full range of dental care should be risk-managed by the individual practice and can include aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), subject to following the necessary IPC and PPE requirements.

Treatment of patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 should be deferred until asymptomatic and always for a minimum of 10 and ideally 14 days.

If patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 have emergency dental care needs, then they can be treated with stringent Infection Prevention and Control Protocols and with correct PPE in line with the NHS England guidance as below:

COVID-19 guidance and standard operating procedure: For the provision of urgent dental care in primary care dental settings (from 8 June 2020) and designated urgent dental care provider sites

If antibody testing is undertaken it should be remembered that a negative IgM does not exclude infection and that we have insufficient information to declare that an IgG positive cannot be an asymptomatic carrier.

The following public health guidelines are intended for use as a minimum requirement and in addition to standard precautions in keeping with General Dental Council (GDC) guidance.

Safe Exit Framework Level 1: Public Health Guidance for Dentists and Dental Surgery