I can't recall the last time that routine dentistry was suspended totally in this or any other country, not in my lifetime anyway. Ours is a profession guided by regulation and ethics and everything that has happened in the past few days has appeared very fluid and fast moving. The guidance has been missing at key moments and especially in England, has been late by many days at each step of the way. We don't know yet if irreversible damage has been caused by the delay. There are no guarantees and no one knows where this is headed or how long it will last.

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Parking an entire profession on the bench is an extreme step, but it was a necessary step given the nature of our work and the nature of the threat that we face with the virus. As a diabetic and with a poor history of recovering from respiratory infections, I cannot risk an infection with COVID-19.

On a personal level, it has been painful to go into the practice only for a day or two each week to return calls and write prescriptions. As a clinical dentist facing patients in my routine as well as emergency out of hours sessions, I really miss my work. But I am very clear on one thing: you couldn't drag me to a practice or elsewhere in the NHS without appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is not a time to say 'yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir' to authority and merely accept whatever comes our way. We need to ensure that we are properly protected in whatever we do and our personal safety must be our prime concern.

There is the worry about financial affairs too. How long can this continue without adverse effects to my personal finances as well as the economy in general which will in turn affect my finances? My wife and toddler are stuck in India in that country's COVID-19 lockdown and I have no idea about when they can return to the UK and join me at home in Hull. It is such a shame that I'm having to suffer this period without them. All of this will take its toll on my emotional, physical and mental wellbeing, but I'm fortunate to have so many colleagues from the BDA and from the wider profession to chat with on Twitter and keep me sane. I welcome readers to tweet me @briteeth and keep the conversation going there.

One good thing about the downtime is the fact that I can spend time reading and researching for my MA in Dental Law and Ethics. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews may have to be deferred indefinitely, but I can use this time in learning about qualitative research and possibly complete a literature review. After all, every cloud does have its silver lining.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay sane dental family. We will have a lot to do when this is over.