SOME Wee County dentists have asked locals to bear with them while they work through a huge backlog of cancelled appointments as routine check-ups resume.

Alva Dental Practice and Dollar Dental Care and Implant Centre have started carrying out patient examinations again, after a four months hiatus due to the coronavirus lockdown.

And while there is a big demand for this routine service, the practices – part of Clyde Munro Dental Group – are prioritising rearranging appointments cancelled between March and July.

Dr Jacqui Frederick, group clinical director at Clyde Munro, said: "We understand we have many patients who are very keen to resume their care, but we'd ask them to please bear with us.

"Our first priority is to get in touch with all patients whose appointments were cancelled.

"We want to assure all of our patients that we will get to them for their routine check-ups as quickly as possible and that they will be able to get treatment if they have urgent dental problems."

Dr Frederick also stressed that people should be aware of some big changes in the way Clyde Munro's Alva and Dollar practices operate.

She said: "It's also important for us to make patients aware that when they do arrive at the practice, it will be different from what they have experienced during their previous visits."

For example, those attending the practice are asked to observe a range of safety procedures.

These include filling in forms digitally before attending, using on site sanitising stations, observing strict social distancing, following a one-way system, and paying by contactless methods where possible.

The measures aim to make the practices as safe as possible for everyone within them.

Across Scotland, dentists have been able to resume routine appointments since July 13.

However, for now, high street dentists cannot perform aerosol generating procedures involving equipment that generates a fine spray of air or water.

Explaining why, a post on the NHS Inform website said: "The water droplets in this spray can carry coronavirus particles that may be absorbed through the nose, mouth or eyes and risk transmission of the virus."

For the latest information about the availability of dental services in Scotland, visit tinyurl.com/y68shfdp