A NETWORK of local dental surgeries is offering around-the-clock emergency treatment during the coronavirus pandemic.
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The new service comes at a time when many dentists have shut down, and all Australian dentists are deferring routine treatments.
Bonnells Bay Dental is among the five surgeries in the network - the other four are on the Central Coast.
Dr Monica Collins, of Bonnells Bay Dental, said a key feature of the new service was a dedicated hotline - 0480 261 192.
Patients could contact the hotline at any time if they required emergency dental care and they would then be triaged appropriately to their closest dentist for treatment, Dr Collins said.
"Under the ADA (Australian Dental Association) guidelines for Level 3 restrictions, dental emergencies include such things as facial swelling, trauma, prolonged bleeding periods, and broken teeth that are causing severe pain that can't be managed at home," she said.
Patients requiring emergency dental treatment are encouraged to contact the hotline via SMS in the first instance.
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"Patients should SMS their name, postcode and details of their dental issue and we can then work out where to send them," Dr Collins said.
"Patients have been pretty good at getting as much information in that SMS as possible."
The patient will then be contacted by phone, and arrangements made for treatment.
Dr Collins said dentists in the network were generally at the five surgeries between 9am and 1pm, although after-hours treatment would be provided when necessary.
"Our aim is to try to keep emergency dental patients out of our emergency departments in hospitals, to ease the burden on them."
She said patients who visited their dentist would notice a range of new infection control measures were now in place.
Patients will be questioned over the phone about their travel histories, their general health, and whether or not they have had contact with known COVID-19 cases.
"And we have posters in the surgeries advising patients to wait in their cars until we're ready to see them. That's just to lessen the number of people we have in the waiting area," Dr Collins said.
Patients will also have their temperatures taken.
Dental staff have extra protective clothing, and patients in pre-treatment are required to rinse with Colgate Peroxyl mouthwash (a hydrogen peroxide solution) or ozonated water, she said.
The network of surgeries, known as Central Coast Dental Emergency Services, comprises Avoca Beach Dental, Saratoga Dental, Empire Bay Dental, Bonnells Bay Dental and Warnervale Dental.
To access emergency dental care via one of the surgeries, text your name, postcode and dental issue to the 24/7 hotline, 0480 261 192.
