As of 22nd November 2021, we are no longer conducting rapid antigen testing on patients attending our practice. This testing remains in place for all our staff and any contractors attending.

Rapid Antigen Testing

This is a comfortable, easy, fast and reliable way to help keep our community safe. Importantly, these are NOT the invasive PCR tests that we’ve all become accustomed to, but just involve a simple nasal swab.

Why rapid antigen testing?

Although newer to Australia, rapid antigen testing has been used in many countries for point-of-care testing. They are approved by the therapeutic good administration (TGA) and their use is tightly regulated.

Rapid antigen testing is aimed at keeping our practice as a safe space for both patients and staff. Testing allows us to be confident that the people attending the practice before you or during your visit are not infectious. This not only lowers the risk of any exposure to COVID-19, but lowers the risk of being caught up in a tier 1 or 2 exposure site and being subject to the resultant stay-at-home orders.

How does it work?

Tests assess for SARS-CoV-2 antigen in nasal or throat swabs. Nasal testing is most common as this is fast, non-invasive and comfortable to perform for both adults and children.

At our practice, we are asking patients arriving for appointments to remain in their car for testing, the results of which will take around 15 minutes. One of our trained staff will come out and take the simple test, and then will advise of a negative result before the appointment taking place. We are hoping that this is seen as only a minor inconvenience which allows dental treatment to proceed with confidence in a safe setting.

How accurate are they?

These tests have been used all over the world and have very high accuracy. The tests we use have a specificity listed at 100%, meaning that the chance of getting a ‘false positive’ result is extremely unlikely. The sensitivity of these tests is over 95%, meaning that almost all people with traces of COVID-19 will return a positive test. This means that ‘false negatives’ are also very rare and when they do occur, may reflect very low viral loads which are unlikely to be highly infectious.

What happens if I receive a positive result?

Given the specificity of these tests, it is highly likely that a positive result indicates infection. Anyone testing positive will be directed to have a formal PCR test at one of the Department of Health testing stations.

No additional costs will be passed on to patients for these tests. We are hoping that our community sees this as a safe and proportionate measure and one that warrants the small, temporary inconvenience. For any questions, please feel free to contact us on 9233 8558 or at info@dentistsofalphington.com.au