COVID-19 Pandemic and Dental Practice.

Anuraj Singh Kochhar,Gulsheen Kaur Kochhar,Himanshu Dadlani,Ritasha Bhasin

doi:10.1155/2020/8894794

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, a virus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome, has inundated the whole world, generating global health concerns. There is a wildfire-like effect, despite the extensive range of efforts exercised by the affected countries to restrain the expanse of this pandemic, owing to its community spread pattern. Dental specialists in the upcoming days will likely come across patients with presumed or confirmed COVID-19 and will have to ensure stringent infection prevention and control to prevent its nosocomial spread. This paper strives to provide a brief overview of the etiology, incubation, symptoms, and transmission paradigms of this novel infection and how to minimize the spread in a dental healthcare setting. This review presents evidence-based patient management practice and protocols from the available literature to help formulate a contingency plan with recommendations, for the dental practices prior to patients' visit, during in-office dental treatment, and post-treatment, during the pandemic and after.

Highlights

A public health emergency intimidated the world in 2019, soon with a pandemic announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the emergence of an abstruse virus [1], the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
As of June 5, 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2019-nCoV has involved 216 countries, over 6 million confirmed cases, and 387,155 confirmed deaths [4]. e aim of the publication is to provide a brief overview of the etiology, incubation, symptoms, and transmission paradigms of this novel infection and how to minimize the nosocomial spread in the dental healthcare setting. is review presents evidence-based patient management practice and protocols from the available literature to help formulate a contingency plan with recommendations, for the dental practices prior to patients’ visit, during in-office dental treatment, and post-treatment, during the pandemic and after
A narrative synthesis was undertaken to provide a summary of the important aspects relevant to dental practitioners during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

A public health emergency intimidated the world in 2019, soon with a pandemic announced by the WHO with the emergence of an abstruse virus [1], the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19, strangulating the world by spreading its tentacles in all spheres of life, initiated as a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China. Coronaviruses belong to the Coronaviridae family, and SARS-CoV-2 based on the viral genome is a part of betacoronavirus [2]. Coronaviruses are spherical in structure and have spiked glycoprotein on their surface that makes them appear like a crown, the reason for their name corona. Various studies have reported that human coronaviruses can remain viable on various inanimate surfaces from 2 hours to up to 9 days [3]. As of June 5, 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2019-nCoV has involved 216 countries, over 6 million confirmed cases, and 387,155 confirmed deaths [4]. e aim of the publication is to provide a brief overview of the etiology, incubation, symptoms, and transmission paradigms of this novel infection and how to minimize the nosocomial spread in the dental healthcare setting. is review presents evidence-based patient management practice and protocols from the available literature to help formulate a contingency plan with recommendations, for the dental practices prior to patients’ visit, during in-office dental treatment, and post-treatment, during the pandemic and after

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusions