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Additional Funding Expected For Two Isle Of Wight Dentist Surgeries

Additional financial support is on the cards for two Isle of Wight dentist surgeries.

Public Health England says the funds will provide additional appointments -to ensure there is more access to them for Islanders.

It comes as Islanders have expressed concerns about getting a dentist appointment on the Isle of Wight in a recent report by Healthwatch, as previously reported.

Two dental practices on the Isle of Wight applied for the additional funding - it is not yet known which ones.

Public Health England is working with them - to establish a start date as soon as possible.

A spokesperson for Public Health England told Isle of Wight Radio.

“All dental practices are now open but they are not able to see as many patients as normal due to the need to have in place appropriate social distancing measures and additional cleaning for the safety of both patients and practice staff.

“In line with national guidance dental practices are prioritising those patients with the most urgent dental care needs or who were in a course of treatment before the closure. This means that patients needing routine dental care may have to wait longer for an appointment.

"We are working with dentists to help them get back to normal as soon as possible but we ask that people are patient as we work to get services back on track.”

Where a patient requires urgent care, they should contact any dental practice in order to be assessed over the telephone.

During the call - the dentist will establish whether the patient needs advice, medication to help to relieve pain or antibiotics to treat an infection or if they need an urgent appointment.

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