As concerns over the rapid spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to grow across the country and world, dental professionals need to know what steps they can take to keep their patients, their team members and their patients safe.
The Journal of Dental Research, co-owned by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the American Association of Dental Research (AADR), recently published a paper with a number of recommendations for strict infection control protocols for dental practices and schools, according to a press release. The paper was written by researchers at Wuhan University School & Hospital of Stomatology. COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China.
“For dental practices and hospitals in countries/regions that are (potentially) affected with COVID-19, strict and effective infection control protocols are urgently needed,” Prof. Zhuan BIAN and coauthors stated, according to the release. “Dentists should take strict personal protection measures and avoid or minimize operations that can produce droplets or aerosols. Four-handed technique is beneficial for controlling infection. The use of saliva ejectors with low volume or high volume can reduce the production of droplets and aerosols.”
Other recommendations include:
- Establish pre-check triages to measure and record the temperature of every staff and patient as a routine procedure.
-Use preoperative antimicrobial mouth rinse to reduce the number of microbes in the oral cavity.
-Dental emergencies can occur and exacerbate in a short period of time, and therefore need immediate treatment. Rubber dams and high-volume saliva ejectors can help minimize aerosol or spatter in dental procedures. The treatment planning of tooth fracture, luxation, or avulsion is dependent on the age, the traumatic severity of dental tissue, the development of the apex, and the duration of tooth avulsion.
-In the regions heavily affected with COVID-19, patients waiting in dental clinics should be provided with medical masks. If aerosol producing procedures are unavoidable, dental practitioners need to wear gowns, facial shield or goggles.
The paper also included guidelines for dental schools. These include:
- Online lectures, case studies and problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials should be adopted to avoid unnecessary aggregation of people and associated risk of infection.
-Schools should encourage students to engage in self-learning, make full use of online resources and learn about the latest academic developments.
-During this period, it is easy for students to be affected by disease-associated fear and pressure. Dental schools should be prepared to provide psychological services to those who need them.
Click here to read the complete paper.
View Full Press Release
Source: The Journal of Dental Research