Dr Gautam Sharma, of West Earlham Dental Practice, Pic: Archant
- Credit: Archant
A review to create a road map to ease infection controls hampering dentists has been met with support and calls for caution from Norfolk dentists.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said ongoing infection rules placed on dentists could have serious consequences on patient care as poor dental health is expected to have increased during the pandemic.
The letter to the UK s four chief dental officers raised significant concerns about delayed or missed cases of oral cancer and that an estimated 30 million appointments had been lost since last March in England.
Dr Gautam Sharma, of West Earlham Dental Practice, Pic: Archant
- Credit: Archant
A review to create a road map to ease infection controls hampering dentists has been met with support and calls for caution from Norfolk dentists.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said ongoing infection rules placed on dentists could have serious consequences on patient care as poor dental health is expected to have increased during the pandemic.
The letter to the UK s four chief dental officers raised significant concerns about delayed or missed cases of oral cancer and that an estimated 30 million appointments had been lost since last March in England.
Calls have been made for the build of a dental school in Norfolk.
- Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Calls have been made for a dental school in Norfolk, as NHS practices across the county struggle to meet the increasing demand for appointments.
Alex Stewart, chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk, said he “can’t see an easy way out as dental practices are working “flat out” at full capacity, forcing many to travel miles from their homes or opt for private treatment.
Mr Stewart said the situation in Norfolk has been made worse since the pandemic began and the only way to tackle the problem is for dentists to come to the county.
Published:
5:30 AM January 22, 2021
Hamed Karimi, practice owner, front, with his team at Norfolk Dental Specialists, who are concerned they are being missed for the Covid vaccines. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
- Credit: Picture: DENISE BRADLEY Copyright: Archant 2021
Dentists in Norfolk and Waveney who feared they had been overlooked look set to finally receive clarity on when they will get Covid jabs.
Dental practices were due to be contacted by vaccination organisers from Wednesday afternoon onwards, according to Norfolk Local Dental Committee (NLDC).
Norfolk Dental Specialists, Victoria Street in Norwich. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
- Credit: Picture: DENISE BRADLEY Copyright: Archant 2021
Dentists and their colleagues are classed as frontline health workers and therefore deemed a top priority by the vaccination programme.