A WIDER range of dental care will be possible for Renfrewshire residents from later this month.

The Scottish Government has announced it is to ease restrictions on dental surgeries from Monday, August 17, as a result of progress being made in the fight against coronavirus.

This will include the reintroduction of aerosol procedures, such as those that involve the use of drills, for urgent cases.

Dental teams will be issued individually fitted protective equipment to allow them to do this work safely and effectively.

However, each dental surgery will be left to decide the pace at which it reintroduces procedures such as drilling.

Chief Dental Officer Tom Ferris said: “NHS patients have been able to receive care and treatment, including aerosol generating procedures (AGP), through one of the 71 urgent dental care centres in Scotland.

“Now a limited range of AGP procedures will be available at NHS practices. This decision has been taken after carefully and thoroughly considering the balance between the overall risk of infection with the needs of patients to be seen by dentists.

“I am pleased that patients seeking such urgent procedures can now be seen at their NHS practice and, in turn, that practices can expand their services to patients.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also confirmed that she hopes driving lessons can resume on Monday, August 24, as part of her route map out of lockdown.

Non-essential offices are to remain closed until at least the middle of September, with Scottish Government guidance indicating that working from home and working flexibly remain the default position, in a bid to halt the risk of coronavirus spreading.

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