Northern Ireland's dentists see phased return to work beginning 8 June

In a letter to general dental practitioners, acting Chief Dental Officer Michael Donaldson said that it will be a three-phase process to help address the growing number of people with pressing oral health needs. 

When lockdown began, five regional urgent dental care centres (UDCs) were set up for patients with high needs.

These clinics are seeing only those with urgent dental needs and patients have to be referred by their local dentist and treated any identified COVID-19 (coronavirus) patients as well as any other patients who required emergency dental treatment 

Phase 1a: The current phase

Phase 1b: This phase will be introduced on 8 June 2020. No change to restrictions but all practices to offer face-to-face urgent dental care in an attempt to maximise the number of patients with urgent needs being treated. To ensure appropriateness of referrals, all patients referred to UDCs to have initially been seen face to face by the referring practice unless this would not be in the patient's interests.