My role as a volunteer fit tester

Dentistry has been moving at an alarming rate since COVID-19 was announced as a global pandemic. With lockdown, I was furloughed and have not been inside my practice since. Two weeks into self-isolation, I was approached by a colleague to volunteer to train to become a fit tester of respirators for Urgent Dental Care Hubs.

I completed training through an accredited course at the start of April and, since this time, have helped the organisation fit test individuals with FFP3 respirators. This has helped urgent care centres to open and provide an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) service to the dental patients who require it, taking the burden off A&E. Delivering a programme that not only fit tests but provides training in putting them on, safety and maintenance of respirators, and also guidance on infection control and donning and doffing of PPE, means that wearers are informed and, hopefully, can provide safe treatment for their patients and also protect staff members. Wearers are also informed of safety standards and what makes a respirator adequate and suitable.