Practice Update 04/01/2021
On Monday 4th January, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced changes to the tier system due to the rising number of cases of Covid-19.

Valley Dental Practice will still be open. There are no restrictions with regards to medical treatment and you are actively encouraged to keep your appointments. At Valley Dental Practice we have all the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and will continue to follow our high standards in cross infection control.

Practice Update 01/09/2020
We are pleased to welcome our new hygienist Phillipa, who will be working Monday 9am-7pm and Tuesday 9am-5.30pm. She will be able to scale and polish your teeth, removing plaque and calculus as well as providing advice on lifestyle factors that may be affecting your oral health. She will work with you to create an oral hygiene routine that will keep your teeth looking their best in between appointments.

Call today on 01255 220322 to book an appointment.

Practice Update 29/06/2020
We are pleased to announce that we are reopen and will now be starting the process of seeing any emergency patients and contacting those patients who have outstanding treatment that was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Please bear with us during this time as the phones will be busier than usual. For non emergencies please contact the practice on manager@valleydentalpractice.com and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Practice Update 29/05/2020
Following the recent Government updates, the team will be working very hard in the hope that we will be able to reopen and start seeing patients from Monday 29th June.

We will be spending the next few weeks ensuring that we have all the necessary processes and procedures in place to safely reopen. This will include sourcing sufficient PPE to ensure that both staff and patients are protected at all times.

Please understand that we will need to prioritise patients who have had appointments cancelled over the past few months and those who need appointments for treatment.

Can we therefore ask that should you need to book a routine dental or hygienist appointment that you do not call until the week beginning 13th July as this will enable us to prioritise these patients.

As stated in our previous update we are taking every step possible to keep patients safe. On top of our previous updates we will also be looking to:
•     Created separate clinics for Patients who are most vulnerable
•  Introduce a  new process where you will be asked to wait safely outside the Practice until we call you in
•     Ensure payment is taken by card and contactless where possible when leaving the practice

We would ask that you please bear with us at this time of transition. We will be trying our hardest to ensure that everyone can be seen as quickly as possible but these new requirements may mean that we will be unable to be as flexible with appointment days and times.

Practice Update 25/05/2020
The team at Valley Dental Practice are all very anxious to get back to work, but we are currently waiting on further guidance to be issued as to when we will be allowed to start seeing patients again.

We have however not allowed this to prevent us from ensuring that we can offer the best possible service when we reopen. We already meet and exceed infection control requirements, but we are looking to put in place some additional things to ensure that both our staff and patients are safe moving forward.

1. Air Purification Systems
We have invested in state-of-the-art air purification systems, which will help to filter harmful bacteria, viruses, dental matter and pathogens from the air.

2. Screen at reception
We have installed a new screen at Reception to help protect our receptionists.

3. Online forms
We have updated our current dental software and this will allow us to send medical history forms, contact details updates and other information digitally to you via phone or email prior to your appointment, allowing you to complete them at home in your own time and reducing the contact points within the surgery.

4. Longer appointments
When we re-open we will be allowing longer for each appointment. This will ensure that we are able to maintain reduced numbers of patients in the surgery at any one time and will also allow us to fully decontaminate the surgery after each appointment.

5. Enhanced PPE for Staff
Our staff may look a little different when you see them, they will be wearing enhanced levels of PPE to ensure both yours and their safety, but please do not fear we will still aim to offer the same friendly service that we always have.

We are sure that as more guidance is released there will be additional measures to put in place but please rest assured that the team at Valley Dental Practice are committed to your safety when you attend for your appointment and will put in place any necessary provisions to ensure this.

We’re still here to help
Ensuring you are cared for is a duty that the whole practice team takes very seriously. Should you have a dental emergency do not hesitate to ring the surgery. The phone is currently diverted to our on-call dentist who will be able to offer you help and advice and if necessary, will arrange for your to be seen.

If you do need to attend for an emergency appointment, please follow the below guidelines:

  • Please come alone
  • Please come 10 minutes earlier to complete a medical history form
  • Please bring a list of medications that you take
  • Please leave all unnecessary private belongings in your car or at home.
  • Please go to the bathroom before you come as our toilet facilities are currently closed to patients.

Me and my team are also working hard to contact all patients to check-in with them to see if they are well and if they have any problems or questions. We will continue to work on this over the coming weeks.

Remember to keep your oral health in mind
The health of your mouth can have a big effect on your overall health and wellbeing. During this period of social isolation take some time to refresh your oral health habits and make sure that your teeth and gums stay healthy. Remember:

  • Brush with a fluoride toothpaste before bed and at one other time during the day
  • Use floss, or where needed and interdental brush, to clean between your teeth each day
  • Limit the number of food you eat that contains sugar
  • Limit the number of sugary and acidic drinks you have

I cannot stress any more how much we hope to be able to reopen in the near future and be able to continue providing your dental treatment. Your continued support, commitment, kind words over the phone, email replies and social media posts are truly humbling and makes us even more determined to get back to helping you as soon as possible. For the latest updates regarding practice opening please follow us on our social media channels, on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Practice update 25/03/2020
Postponing all routine appointment
In keeping with the latest government advice, all routine appointments have been suspended from Tuesday 24th March. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean your appointment has been cancelled. If you had an appointment booked, you can expect to hear from us soon to rearrange it for a later date.

I’m sure you can appreciate that in order to adhere to social distancing advice, and to protect our team members who are in a vulnerable category, the number of staff still in the practice has been significantly reduced. If you contact the team, please be patient as we try to answer all queries with the limited staff available. You, and every patient of ours, matter a lot and while we may be slower to respond than normal, we haven’t forgotten you.

When it’s safe for us to operate normally again, we will be extending our opening hours to make sure that no-one is waiting longer than they have to for their routine appointments.

We’re still here to help
Ensuring you are cared for is a duty that the whole practice team takes very seriously. Rest assured we will provide all possible assistance that is safe and in line with government guidance.

All the dentists, health permitting, will be available for telephone conversations and advice on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9am and 12 noon. Please let our reception team know and your dentist will call you back at a mutually convenient time.

I can’t stress any more how important you are to us, not just as a business but personally. Please do everything you can to keep yourselves and those around you safe. Don’t take unnecessary risks and for the moment stay indoors wherever possible.