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<p>NHS dentistry was reorganised in late March along with other NHS primary care services
to minimise face to face care to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the peak of
the pandemic. Dentists were asked to suspend all routine treatment and instead to
offer urgent advice and, where required, prescriptions for antibiotics by telephone.
Urgent treatment was made available through urgent dental centres (UDCs) set up in
each National Health Services region.</p><p>As of 25 May there are currently over
550 UDCs open. Patients are triaged into UDCs by their own dentistry or through NHS
111. The urgent dental centres are expected to provide, where urgently needed, the
full range of dental treatment normally available on the NHS.</p><p>The NHS England
and Improvement guidance issued from the Chief Dental Officer on 25 March applied
directly only to NHS dental care. When providing private care dentists should consider
any advice or guidance issued by regulators, the relevant professional body, Chief
Professional Officers, or the NHS, as appropriate. All official guidance should be
considered in delivery of private or NHS treatment but guidance issued to the NHS
is only binding for NHS care.</p><p>NHS England and Improvement announced on 28 May
that NHS dentistry outside urgent care centres will begin to restart from 8 June with
the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is compatible with maximising safety.
The letter to dentists setting this out is available at the following link:</p><p><a
href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-ontent/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/Urgent-dental-care-letter-28-May.pdf"
target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-ontent/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/Urgent-dental-care-letter-28-May.pdf</a></p>
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