Sir, as a British Army Dental Officer I was taught the 7Ps: Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Being more polite, the United States Air Force changed the fifth P to 'pitifully'.1 This is a shame as the surprise and fun of the mild expletive makes the adage memorable. Later versions sometimes substituted 'practice' for the third P.

We were also taught to be 'joined up'. The Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) produced a comprehensive list of guidance, news and resources for general dental practice in the COVID-19 era.2 Not surprisingly, there are inconsistencies and differing viewpoints, both within dentistry and with our medical and nursing colleagues about the new normal, particularly concerning aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). These are critical to modern dentistry, but are not unique to us.

It has been noted anaesthetists consider working in the upper airway to be an AGP but dentistry is not mentioned.3 The latest Cochrane commentary on personal protective equipment (PPE) for general dental practice states 'none of the 24 identified studies... was based in the dental environment or included members of the dental team'.4 The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine's commentary on PPE in primary care concerns general medical practice. It introduces a new term of aerosol generating exposures (AGE) to include AGPs and additional risks like patients coughing. Also, requiring gold plated evidence may be the enemy of good policy. We need to look at all evidence, both observational and experimental.5

Following the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak 2002-2004, PPE for dental procedures was proposed.6 It did not discuss wider implications, such as reception, waiting rooms, staff rooms, links to mail and laboratories and so on.

There is a blizzard of information GDPs are required to digest. I do not pretend to have the answer but we need coherent policy in advance of reopening. To paraphrase the 7Ps: we need to Plan and Prepare (both Physically and Psychologically) our staff and our Patients, we need new Protocols and we need to Practise them. We cannot simply show up on the day of unlock. It is also to be hoped we are joined up with our medical and nursing colleagues in this new normal.