This document provides advice and guidance for the triage, assessment and provision of oral surgery care for people during the COVID-19 pandemic and is intended for use by the NHS staff working in England.
Non-urgent dental care should be deferred to minimise risk to patients, staff and the public. Aerosol generating procedures (AGP) present a higher risk of transmission of the virus and should only be undertaken to provide urgent care where no other option is available.
Any patient requesting urgent care should first be triaged by telephone by a dentist to assess their clinical urgency, establish their COVID-19 risk, offer any interim self-care advice and make an appointment for face to face assessment if required.
Where possible, it is advisable to have two clinicians involved in the decision making process in recognition of the fact that we will need to deviate from routine treatment planning protocols.
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With any patient it is necessary to establish their medical history as any underlying medical conditions may exacerbate the situation. In these cases earlier review or attendance may be necessary compared with healthy individuals.
No patient should attend without first being triaged by telephone/video. This should be carried out by an experienced clinician and could be run remotely from the dental setting if needed.
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Following telephone/video triage if a patient is deemed in need of urgent OS care they should be given an appointment to attend the clinic.
