Melbourne’s hospitals have been under a Code Brown during this latest Omicron variant COVID outbreak. One it tempted to say does that mean the ‘you know what’ is hitting the fan? Despite this Melbourne’s dentists staying open for emergency treatments during COVID lockdowns have been a fact of life. Thankfully for all those suffering from tooth ache and other more painful dental problems. As many health professionals have said,” just because we are in the grip of a global pandemic it does not mean all the usual health emergencies have just gone away.”
Emergency Dentists Staying Open in Melbourne
An emergency dentist must respond fast but also with calm and empathy. Once it has been established that you have not contracted COVID-19 your dentist will ascertain the state of your dental requirements. They may check on your vaccination status to evaluate the risk you may pose to other patients and staff within the dental clinic. The Victorian government has not mandated that dental patients must be vaccinated at this point in time. However, a dental clinic may have a policy to treat only vaccinated patients. Check with your dentist prior to making a booking.
A Spike in Dental Emergencies in Melbourne
During a stay at home restriction it is allowed to attend a dentist for emergency dental care. Maintenance of oral health is important for your overall health. A spike in emergency cases occurred during lockdown in Melbourne because Victorians were banned from attending check-ups, according to Victorian dentists. Dentists were forced to close under Stage 4 restrictions, which allowed only emergency procedures. Professor Matthew Horcraft from the Australian Dental Association said, “We’re now seeing an increase in a large number of emergencies- patients presenting with broken teeth, infections and swelling.”
Something like a knocked out tooth especially happens during Saturday sport. It is these kinds of things that cannot be avoided in many instances and demand immediate treatment by dental professionals. Things have blown out on government budgetary levels as well. Putting off the many rudimentary dental visits by Victorians has created a vast backlog of desperate demand for dental services. There will be many such situations as these caused by the COVID lockdowns which will come back to bite us all badly. Putting off stuff always catches up with you in the end. Considering how stressed frontline medical staff already are, how will they cope with this when it arrives?
