Dear Dental Colleague,

As a fellow dentist and dental practice owner, I am requesting your support in what I feel could be an important initiative for the dental profession over the short and medium term.

Like me, I am sure it saddens you deeply to hear that so many care staff, in addition to our great hospital and key workers, are struggling to get access to the very PPE which would keep them safe.

As a trustee of a dental charity, I have witnessed first-hand in Lebanon during my voluntary work just how important safety is and how we have a unique opportunity to help others.

We know from the government’s own stark daily statistics, that deaths in care homes and hospices, as a result of Covid-19, are all too common and unfortunately increasing.

So how can we as a profession help keep these compassionate and committed staff safe and well, so that they can continue the vital care of people from within our communities?

Rallying for PPE

I believe that we have the opportunity to rally together and create a timely and crucial network of PPE supplies.

Like myself, I am sure you still have the opportunity to seek daily orders from your dental suppliers, thanks to your long-standing relationships. And indeed, you may also have your own excess stock, sitting inside practices which, sadly, you have had to close for now.

I am therefore asking you if you will consider joining me, to collectively gather as much PPE stock as we possibly can, such that it can then be distributed among the region’s care homes, care agencies, GP surgeries and hospices.

This gesture of collaboration will make such a difference to those who work in the sector and would not at all impact on the supply which is being received by our urgent dental centres.

BDA confirms...

The BDA confirms to me that they have received enquiries about intentions to run similar initiatives around the UK, throughout this hugely difficult period. I know they support the idea that we in East Anglia would look to come together in this mission.

I would be delighted to hear from as many of you as possible, about what stock you can access, and how we might begin to distribute this where it is needed most.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with your views and suggestions in any of the following ways:

Telephone: 01603 250583

Email: smiles@westearlhamdental.co.uk

I sincerely thank you for your time in reading this letter and here is to giving back to our local communities.

Best wishes,

Gautam Sharma