New covid guidelines unlikely to bring 'business as usual' back to dentistry

It replaces restrictions that have been all but universal for most treatments and most patients since the first lockdown, which has radically reduced capacity across the service.

Those on the non-respiratory pathway can be managed in line with pre-covd standard infection control precautions. Any placed on the respiratory pathway will remain subject to enhanced precautions, including maintaining 'fallow time' gaps of up to an hour between treatments. Screening to determine the pathway will take place both before attendance and on arrival at the practice.

Dentist leaders anticipate a relatively high proportion of the population may find themselves on the respiratory pathway as the country heads into winter, given traditional patterns with seasonal flu and the common cold, even setting aside any surge in covid rates.