Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Covid 19 coronavirus: Dentists still available in Whanganui during lockdown

Mike Tweed
By Mike Tweed
Multimedia Journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
2 Apr, 2020 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

There are 89 new cases of coronavirus in New Zealand - the most recorded in a single day so far, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says.

A handful of dental surgeries in Whanganui are remaining available to the public during the Covid-19 lockdown, although stringent procedures have been put in place to minimise the risks for both patients and surgeons.

Head of Victoria Dental and Whanganui district councillor, Hadleigh Reid, said a major issue facing dentists everywhere was the aerosols that are caused by certain dental procedures.

These are airborne particles that could be derived from blood, saliva, tooth debris and dental plaque.

Head of Victoria Dental, Hadleigh Reid. Photo / Stuart Munro
Head of Victoria Dental, Hadleigh Reid. Photo / Stuart Munro
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This spray occurs when you use hand pieces, primarily high-speed ones like an ultrasonic scaler, " Reid said.

"There is an inherent risk in our profession that things can be spread, so it's really important that our staff are on top of things."

"If we need to do a procedure that will create aerosols, we are required to wear long-sleeve gowns and M95 face masks at all times.

NeedToKnow3
NeedToKnow3

Director of The Dentists on Wicksteed St, Adam Durning, said an online consultation would be required before any surgery was agreed upon.

"If you feel like you need to have a talk to a dentist then we advise the patient that there is a fee, just like a regular consultation," Durning said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We'll try our best to make a diagnosis, through the use of photography and videos."

Director of The Dentists on Wicksteed St, Adam Durning. Photo / Supplied
Director of The Dentists on Wicksteed St, Adam Durning. Photo / Supplied

Durning said a two-page checklist would need to be filled out by the patient, and any other health issues such as a cough or sore throat would be identified before the patient progressed to surgery.

"Once the patient has answered these questions we set up the surgery to the right level to deal with any threat," Durning said.

"We do have the means to treat someone infected with the Covid-19 virus, and even though that situation is unlikely, we have prepared for it."

Discover more

Like mother, like daughter on Red Cross

03 Apr 11:26 PM

Passengers to provide contact details after each bus trip

02 Apr 04:00 PM

First confirmed Covid-19 case in Whanganui district

02 Apr 01:15 AM

Lockdown chance to 'get back to basics'

03 Apr 07:14 PM

Durning added that while their front doors were locked, the front office would still be manned, and patients are welcome to call and talk to one of the operators. All patients accepted for surgery would have to undergo procedures such as hand sanitisation and the removal of footwear as soon as they entered the dental facility.

"The district health board has been in contact with us, because they don't want a kid with a loose tooth to turn up at the doctors and further increase the risk of infection.

"We want to be able to free up doctors and surgeons in other areas."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

•

Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Premium
Whanganui Chronicle

Tradie's remarkable revival of long-lost NZ clothing brand from his backyard shed

03 Jul 10:43 PM
live
Whanganui Chronicle

Flood-ravaged Nelson, Marlborough in the firing line again, Auckland to see storms

03 Jul 10:16 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

'Just incredible': Pupils save choking child on school bus

03 Jul 06:13 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Premium
Tradie's remarkable revival of long-lost NZ clothing brand from his backyard shed

Tradie's remarkable revival of long-lost NZ clothing brand from his backyard shed

03 Jul 10:43 PM

Nikolai Solakof had never sewn before reviving Oscar Eide from his shed.

Flood-ravaged Nelson, Marlborough in the firing line again, Auckland to see storms
live

Flood-ravaged Nelson, Marlborough in the firing line again, Auckland to see storms

03 Jul 10:16 PM
'Just incredible': Pupils save choking child on school bus

'Just incredible': Pupils save choking child on school bus

03 Jul 06:13 PM
'Time to lead': Airline founder hands over to son after 40 years

'Time to lead': Airline founder hands over to son after 40 years

03 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP