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South Street Dental reopens with precautions aplenty amid coronavirus measures


By Jonathan Clark

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IN nearly 30 years in the job, South Street Dental’s principle dentist Bill Bennie has never seen anything comparable to the coronavirus pandemic and the measures it has enforced.

Mr Bennie (55) saw patients through the spread of HIV and hepatitis B, but that wasn’t possible with covid-19, which forced all dentists to close for months and find new ways of working.

Principal Dentist Bill Bennie. ..Elgin's South Street Dental Practice adapts to working life during the coronavirus pandemic. ..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
Principal Dentist Bill Bennie. ..Elgin's South Street Dental Practice adapts to working life during the coronavirus pandemic. ..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Even after reopening at the start of July, things are not back to normal and won’t be for some time.

Mr Bennie said: “It’s strange trying to be a dentist over the phone – especially for the older folk like me!

“But we have been manning the phones for four months and that’s how we have been doing our dentistry. People have been really good with us but it’s not the best way to work.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. Even with some of the problems we have had before, with HIV and Hep B.

“To have to close is quite extraordinary. But we are just like any other business in that we strive to survive.

“We have been open for more than two weeks now but we are still very restricted with what we can provide."

A lot of work has gone into making sure South Street Dental is safe to reopen.

Associate Dentist Jennifer Bianchi...Elgin's South Street Dental Practice adapts to working life during the coronavirus pandemic. ..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
Associate Dentist Jennifer Bianchi...Elgin's South Street Dental Practice adapts to working life during the coronavirus pandemic. ..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
Associate Dentist Jennifer Bianchi...Elgin's South Street Dental Practice adapts to working life during the coronavirus pandemic. ..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
Associate Dentist Jennifer Bianchi...Elgin's South Street Dental Practice adapts to working life during the coronavirus pandemic. ..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Patients must arrive at an exact time, wearing their own mask, and sanitise their hands before being guided through the building by a nurse directly to the surgery. The dentists will be set in full PPE on the patient’s arrival.

Three or four people are being seen daily, with most staff still furloughed.

While implementing the necessary precautions has been a big task, lockdown has also been used to improve the business.

“We have used this time as an opportunity to revisit what we do and how we do it,” Mr Bennie added.

“We have updated the patient management system, our website, changed the inside of the practice, upgraded the entrance with a stair lift. It has modernised us.

“We have done a lot of training as well. The staff have been great taking this on board.”

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