Dental Care Implications in Coronavirus Disease-19 Scenario: Perspectives

JOURNAL TITLE: The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice

Author
1. Suresh Nayar
2. Anil Mathew
3. Venkitachalam Ramanarayanan
4. Raghunath Puttaiah
5. Rakesh Suresh
6. Balagopal Varma
ISSN
DOI
10.5005/jp-journals-10024-2896
Volume
21
Issue
8
Publishing Year
2020
Pages
7
Author Affiliations
    1. Division of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Clinics, Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    1. Professor and Head, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Kochi, Kerala, India
    1. Department of Public Health Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
    1. Department of Prosthodontics, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
    1. Department of Oral Pathology, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
    1. OSHA4 Dental LLC, Murphy, Texas, USA
  • Article keywords

    Abstract

    Aim: The aim of this review is to discuss the implications of COVID-19 on various aspects of dental care. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had suspended dental practice globally for over 3 months. While dental practice is being resumed cautiously, standard infection control protocols that were traditionally overlooked are now being strictly implemented. Post-COVID-19, dental care is expected to see a drastic change in the way it is practiced. Review results: With a view on the natural history and disease dynamics of COVID-19, this review reports various aspects of dental care, viz., patient triaging, engineering and work practice controls, and administrative, financial, and ethical aspects of dental care during and after COVID-19 pandemic. Current evidence-based recommendations with regard to infection-control practices are discussed. A call for universal oral health care with suggestions regarding integration of medical and health care is also proposed. Conclusion: COVID-19 is expected to be a watershed moment in the field of dentistry. While we expect to see positive changes in safe delivery of dental care, an increase in cost of availing care is imminent. Clinical significance: The practice of dentistry and dental infection control has undergone dimensional changes due to bloodborne infectious diseases such as hepatitis B virus infections and human immunodeficiency virus epidemic. Due to these pandemics, many regulatory organizations have provided safety recommendations and guidelines that impact the dental practice. Currently, we are faced with a highly infective disease with a high mortality rate among people with comorbidities and of predominantly droplet transmission and no concrete safety recommendations and guidelines. This manuscript addresses multiple issues, gaps, and pragmatic solutions in controlling transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in dental settings, during and after the pandemic.

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