COVID-19 Safety Protocols in Dental Clinical Education in the Second Wave

Abstract

This second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of strategies for guaranteeing clinical teaching in dental schools and adapt it to this new epidemiological situation protecting the health of all staff, stud ents, patients and persons accompanying them. We reviewed a total of 51 documents, including articles and guidelines or recommendations issued by dental schools, scientific societies and other institutions, in order to take stock of the current evidence available about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental schools. We describe a series of measures to implement in semi-critical and critical areas of dental schools to guarantee the safety of all and the continuity of the clinic al training of students. These include: mobility circuits, appropriate distancing, patient scheduling, telephone triage, personal protective equipments, measures to reduce viral transmission by air ventilation and several other actions specific to low or high aerosol generating by treatments. Dental schools must be prepared and implement the necessary measures according to the level of infection risk during face-to-face activities, especially in clinics, which provide essential formation and imp ossible to acquire online. Dental schools should focus on prioritizing preventive and minimally invasive dentistry minimizing aerosol generating procedures whenever possible. More than ever, the international cooperation among universities for the elaboration of protocols is essential. These protocols must ensure the health of everyone in this new second wave of the pandemic and in possible future epidemiological scenarios.