Book your free consultation* Find a practice About Testimonials Teeth straightening Before & after Cost of braces Blog Refer Our safety tariff Keeping you safe in practiceOur safety tariff Our COVID-19 safety tariff At Total Orthodontics, the health, wellbeing and safety of our patients, their families and our people is our priority and always will be. In line with Public Health England Operating Procedures (which cover all UK nations), dentists must continue to take enhanced safety measures in the ongoing pandemic. Dentistry has more close contact and is higher risk than other industries. As the dentist is working inside your mouth and COVID-19 is most likely transmitted via tiny droplets from your nose and mouth, dental staff must wear enhanced PPE, particularly for treatments that generate aerosols. This means a mist of fine particles produced by high-speed dental instruments, which contains water, saliva and, in an infected patient, virus particles. While our clinical teams have always worn PPE, the increased global demand for this equipment means that supplier costs have gone up significantly. Additionally, there are enhanced cleaning requirements and broader staff utilisation of PPE than before the pandemic and, for treatments that generate an aerosol such as drilling and scaling, further enhanced PPE is required. We’ve taken the decision to charge a safety tariff for aerosol generating procedures, rather than include it in the price of your treatment. This is because we believe the additional safety requirements mandated by Public Health England will be removed over the coming months and we want to eliminate this cost for our patients when it’s no longer required. We want to assure you that Total Orthodontics does not make a profit from this tariff. The entire tariff goes towards the increased cost of enhanced PPE and the additional cleaning in practice. We are committed to keeping the tariff to a minimum and will remove it when we can. We have already reduced it three times since it came into effect in June 2020. We hope you understand that to keep our practices open and to be able to provide you with COVID-safe dental treatment, we must ensure that we follow all guidelines. COVID-19 safety tariff cost The table below explains the associated cost per private, aerosol-generating appointment. Type of procedure What this means Type of procedure What’s required Cost Aerosol generating procedures Aerosol sprays are produced which may contain virus particles from your mouth Removal of material used to secure brackets at the end of fixed brace treatment, teeth whitening Enhanced PPE including respirator masks, visors and surgical gowns. Intensive deep cleaning between appointments. £10 Frequently asked questions We understand you may have questions about our COVID-19 safety tariff, so we’ve put together the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions, relevant to both existing and new-to-Total Orthodontics patients who may be looking for further information. 1. Who is eligible to pay the tariff? 2. What does the tariff cover? 3. Is Total Orthodontics profiteering from this tariff? 4. Why do I have to pay this tariff on top of my treatment fees? 5. I don’t have to pay a tariff to see the GP or go to the hairdresser, why do I have to pay extra to see the dentist? 6. Can I bring in my own PPE to reduce the cost? 7. Why aren’t NHS patients paying the tariff and I am? 8. Now restrictions have eased, why do I still have to pay the tariff? 9. When will the tariff be removed? 10. Do under 18s still have to pay the fee? 11. I have a ‘family’ appointment, do I need to pay the COVID-19 safety tariff for each person? Orthodontic blog The difference between at-home and in-practice teeth straightening You might be familiar with at-home teeth straightening, sometimes known as ‘DIY braces’. In the last couple of years, multiple […] Read more What is considered an orthodontic emergency during COVID-19? We’re delighted that most of our practices across the UK are now open for different levels of face-to-face care. At […] Read more How to look after your braces while self-isolating We’re delighted that most of our practices across the UK are now open for different levels of face-to-face care. At […] Read more © Total Orthodontics Ltd Site Last Updated December 2021 WordPress by loopmill Brighton Terms of use Privacy policy Complaints policy Braces blog Sitemap Contact Cookie settings Cookies help us provide you with the best user experience We use cookies to analyse our website performance, to enhance and customise content and for advertising purposes. To consent to our use of cookies please click “Accept cookies”. To find out more or to object please click “Cookie settings” and use our cookies manager. Accept cookies Cookie settings