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Clinical Dental Care: Is There a Risk of SARS-CoV2 Infection?

Dear Editor,

Today, visit the Dental Care Clinic may increase the risk of SARS-CoV2 [1[1] Dave M, Seoudi N, Coulthard P. Urgent dental care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet 2020; 395(10232):1257. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30806-0
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30...
], infection, caused by exposure of salivary fluids to aerosol generators, which are common in dental equipment.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), dentists and their staff are placed in the category of a very high risk of exposure, as dentists work near the patient's oral cavity [2[2] Bhanushali P, Katge F, Deshpande S, Chimata VK, Shetty S, Pradhan D. COVID-19: Changing trends and its impact on future of dentistry. Int J Dent 2020; 2020:8817424. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817424
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817424...
]. In addition, dental procedures involve the use of rotating instruments such as handpieces and scalers, which generate aerosols. Therefore, a better understanding of the transmission mechanisms, clinical features and testing methods of the virus is needed to help form protocols for dental practices to identify cases and prevent further spread of infection to patients and dental staff.

Although biosecurity protocols have been developed that attempt to minimize the possibility of infection, it is not certain whether they prevent transmission of the infection [3[3] Abramovitz I, Palmon A, Levy D, Karabucak B, Kot-Limon N, Shay B, Kolokythas G, et al. Dental care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak: operatory considerations and clinical aspects. Quintessence Int 2020; 51(5):418-29. https://doi.org/10.3290/j.qi.a44392
https://doi.org/10.3290/j.qi.a44392...
,4[4] Ather A, Patel B, Ruparel NB, Diogenes A, Hargreaves KM. Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19): implications for clinical dental care. J Endod 2020; 46(5):584-95.]. So, what should be done? Are the dentists and patients who use these protocols safe?

Finding options that go beyond the simple search for biosecurity barriers [5[5] Barabari P, Moharamzadeh K. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and dentistry - a comprehensive review of literature. Dent J 2020; 21;8(2):E53.], for example, the use of digital tools, which are currently used successfully for distance education [6[6] Meng, L, Hua, F, Bian, Z. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): emerging and future challenges for dental and oral medicine. J Dent Res 2020; 99(5):481-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520914246
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520914246...
], could replace conventional activities such as consultation and patient monitoring.

A dentist usually uses one appointment to take a medical history, another appointment for dental treatment and one more appointment to monitor the evolution of symptoms [2[2] Bhanushali P, Katge F, Deshpande S, Chimata VK, Shetty S, Pradhan D. COVID-19: Changing trends and its impact on future of dentistry. Int J Dent 2020; 2020:8817424. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817424
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817424...
]. Thus, instead of visiting the dentist three times for treatment, with the development and use of digital applications, only one visit would be made for the dental procedure.

The disadvantage of digital tools is the reduced time to develop and maintain a positive relationship between the doctor and the patient and to require an adequate Internet service and audio and video equipment to facilitate its use.

Dentists must adapt quickly to new forms of care, responding to demand in a responsible manner and understanding that it is not just a matter of providing a solution to an oral health problem, but also helping to mitigate the possibility of infection.

References

  • [1]
    Dave M, Seoudi N, Coulthard P. Urgent dental care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet 2020; 395(10232):1257. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30806-0
    » https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30806-0
  • [2]
    Bhanushali P, Katge F, Deshpande S, Chimata VK, Shetty S, Pradhan D. COVID-19: Changing trends and its impact on future of dentistry. Int J Dent 2020; 2020:8817424. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817424
    » https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817424
  • [3]
    Abramovitz I, Palmon A, Levy D, Karabucak B, Kot-Limon N, Shay B, Kolokythas G, et al. Dental care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak: operatory considerations and clinical aspects. Quintessence Int 2020; 51(5):418-29. https://doi.org/10.3290/j.qi.a44392
    » https://doi.org/10.3290/j.qi.a44392
  • [4]
    Ather A, Patel B, Ruparel NB, Diogenes A, Hargreaves KM. Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19): implications for clinical dental care. J Endod 2020; 46(5):584-95.
  • [5]
    Barabari P, Moharamzadeh K. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and dentistry - a comprehensive review of literature. Dent J 2020; 21;8(2):E53.
  • [6]
    Meng, L, Hua, F, Bian, Z. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): emerging and future challenges for dental and oral medicine. J Dent Res 2020; 99(5):481-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520914246
    » https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520914246

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    27 July 2020
  • Date of issue
    2020

History

  • Received
    09 June 2020
  • Accepted
    23 June 2020
  • Published
    24 June 2020
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