Sir, with routine dentistry within England halted due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the Chief Dental Officer's limit of providing emergency care only during this time many GDPs now find themselves in a situation whereby they telephone triage patients, providing either analgesic advice or remote prescribe antimicrobials where applicable. Patients with facial swellings, uncontrolled bleeding, dental trauma or other dental emergencies are referred onward to a suitable emergency treatment centre.

A large part of why GDPs are unable to provide treatment is their lack of correct PPE. At present the guidelines regarding correct PPE for treating asymptomatic patients, as well as suspected or positive COVID-19 cases, are unclear. There is debate particularly in regard to the use of an FFP3 mask. These masks are seen as the gold standard at present, but obtaining these masks is difficult due to the overall increased demand for PPE during the pandemic.

One thing is clear, when an aerosol generating procedure (AGP) is to be undertaken, such as during an extirpation, an FFP3 mask is necessary due to the aerosol being produced potentially acting as a medium by which COVID-19 could be easily transmitted to the operator, team members and patients.1

Given this knowledge, it raises the questions as to why FFP3 masks, or similar PPE, are not commonly used in the dental setting already. As dental professionals, we undertake AGPs everyday as we are reliant upon high speed handpieces, surgical handpieces and 3-in-1 syringes to undertake our work.

Gloves, hand washing and full-face visors are all commonplace for all healthcare professionals as part of standard or universal infection control precautions in order to 'reduce the risk of transmitting infectious agents from both recognised and unrecognised sources of infection'.2 This begs the question as to why we are continuing to use surgical masks in an environment where they are clearly ineffective, as they offer no protection against aerosols. Is it time we include FFP3 masks or similar PPE as part of our standard PPE as we are so reliant on AGPs?