Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Eur J Dent 2020; 14(S 01): S159-S164
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718240
Review Article

A Review on COVID-19 Mediated Impacts and Risk Mitigation Strategies for Dental Health Professionals

Shikha Sharma
1   Consultant Periodontist, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Abhishek Parolia
2   Division of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
,
Shalini Kanagasingam
3   Department of Endodontology, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

In the light of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), dentistry is facing unprecedented challenges. The closure of clinics has impacted dental health professionals (DHPs) not only financially but also psychologically. In this review, these consequences are discussed in detail to highlight the challenges that DHPs are facing thus far, in both developing and developed nations. Compromised mental health among DHPs is an important area that requires attention during this difficult period. Although, in previous pandemics, dentists have not worked on the frontline, the article discusses how their wide range of skillsets can be leveraged if another wave of COVID-19 pandemic appears. Finally, guidelines to reopen clinics and patient management have been discussed in detail that could serve as a quick reference guide for DHPs.

Keywords

education - dentistry - pandemics - standards


Publication History

Article published online:
09 November 2020

© 2020. European Journal of Dentistry. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, Second Floor, Sector -2, NOIDA -201301, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Moynihan P. The British Nutrition Foundation Oral Task Force report–issues relevant to dental health professionals. Br Dent J 2000; 188 (06) 308-312
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 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 (05) 481-487
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Rothe C, Schunk M, Sothmann P. et al. Transmission of 2019-nCoV infection from an asymptomatic contact in Germany. N Engl J Med 2020; 382 (10) 970-971
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Cucinotta D, Vanelli M. WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic. Acta bio-medica. Acta Biomed 2020; 91 (01) 157-160
    Google Scholar
  • 5 Coulthard P. Dentistry and coronavirus (COVID-19) - moral decision-making. Br Dent J 2020; 228 (07) 503-505
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 American Dental Association. Ada calls upon dentists to postpone elective procedures. Available at: https://www.ada.org/en/press-room/news-releases/2020-archives/march/ada-calls-upon-dentists-to-postponeelective-procedures. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 7 Alexander RE. Stress-related suicide by dentists and other health care workers. Fact or folklore?. J Am Dent Assoc 2001; 132 (06) 786-794
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Sancho FM, Ruiz CN. Risk of suicide amongst dentists: myth or reality?. Int Dent J 2010; 60 (06) 411-418
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 World Health Organization. Doing what matters in times of stress: an illustrated guide. 2020). Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331901/9789240003910-eng.pdf.
  • 10 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coping with stress. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 11 Singer T, Klimecki OM. Empathy and compassion. Curr Biol 2014; 24 (18) R875-R878
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Guay AH. Dentistry’s response to bioterrorism: a report of a consensus workshop. J Am Dent Assoc 2002; 133 (09) 1181-1187
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Guay AH. The role dentists can play in mass casualty and disaster events. Dent Clin North Am 2007; 51 (04) 767-778, v
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Watson SK, Rudge JW, Coker R. Health systems’ “surge capacity”: state of the art and priorities for future research. Milbank Q 2013; 91 (01) 78-122
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Morlang WM. Dentistry’s vital role in disaster preparedness. J Calif Dent Assoc 1996; 24 (05) 63-66
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Chmar JE, Ranney RR, Guay AH, Haden NK, Valachovic RW. Incorporating bioterrorism training into dental education: report of ADA-ADEA terrorism and mass casualty curriculum development workshop. J Dent Educ 2004; 68 (11) 1196-1199
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Colvard MD, Lampiris LN, Cordell GA. et al. The dental emergency responder: expanding the scope of dental practice. J Am Dent Assoc 2006; 137 (04) 468-473
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Colvard MD, Vesper BJ, Kaste LM. et al. The evolving role of dental responders on interprofessional emergency response teams. Dent Clin North Am 2016; 60 (04) 907-920
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Motola I, Burns WA, Brotons AA. et al. Just-in-time learning is effective in helping first responders manage weapons of mass destruction events. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2015; 79 (04) (Suppl. 02) S152-S156
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 McKinsey & Company. COVID-19: Implications for business. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-insights/covid-19-implications-for-business. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 21 Ferneini EM. The financial impact of COVID-19 on our practice. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2020; 78 (07) 1047-1048
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Guay AH, Blatz A. The effect of the Great Recession on the demand for general oral health care and orthodontic care. J Am Dent Assoc 2019; 150 (04) 287-293
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Baldwin R, di Mauro BW. Mitigating the COVID economic crisis: Act fast and do whatever it takes. VoxEU. org eBook 2020. Available at: https://voxeu.org/content/mitigating-covid-economic-crisis-act-fast-and-do-whatever-it-takes.
  • 24 Favero MS, Bond WW. Chemical disinfection of medical and surgical materials. In: Block SS. ed. Disinfection, Sterilization, and Preservation. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger; 1991: 617-641
    Google Scholar
  • 25 Molinari JA. Infection control: its evolution to the current standard precautions. J Am Dent Assoc 2003; 134 (05) 569-574, quiz 631–632
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Update–transmission of HIV infection during an invasive dental procedure–Florida. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1991; 40 (02) 21-33
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended infection-control practices for dentistry, 1993. MMWR Recomm Rep 1993; 42 (RR-8) 1-12
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Recommended infection-control practices for dentistry. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1986; 35 (15) 237-242
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Lynch P, Jackson MM, Cummings MJ, Stamm WE. Rethinking the role of isolation practices in the prevention of nosocomial infections. Ann Intern Med 1987; 107 (02) 243-246
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Lynch P, Cummings MJ, Roberts PL, Herriott MJ, Yates B, Stamm WE. Implementing and evaluating a system of generic infection precautions: body substance isolation. Am J Infect Control 1990; 18 (01) 1-12
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Garner JS. The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Guideline for isolation precautions in hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996; 17 (01) 53-80
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Supplement I: Infection control in healthcare, home, and community settings. Public health guidance for community-level preparedness and response to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Version. 2004;2. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/sars/guidance/i-infection/healthcare.pdf.
  • 33 Seto WH, Tsang D, Yung RW. et al. Advisors of Expert SARS group of Hospital Authority. Effectiveness of precautions against droplets and contact in prevention of nosocomial transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Lancet 2003; 361 (9368) 1519-1520
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Samaranayake LP, Peiris M. Severe acute respiratory syndrome and dentistry: a retrospective view. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135 (09) 1292-1302
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 To KK, Tsang OT, Yip CC. et al. Consistent detection of 2019 novel coronavirus in saliva. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 71 (15) 841-843
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Azzi L, Carcano G, Gianfagna F. et al. Saliva is a reliable tool to detect SARS-CoV-2. J Infect 2020; 81 (01) e45-e50
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Xu J, Li Y, Gan F, Du Y, Yao Y. Salivary glands: potential reservoirs for COVID-19 asymptomatic infection. J Dent Res 2020; 99 (08) 989-989
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Collignon PJ, Carnie JA. Infection control and pandemic influenza. Med J Aust 2006; 185 (S10) S54-S57
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Beigel JH, Farrar J, Han AM. et al. Writing Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) Consultation on Human Influenza A/H5. Avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans. N Engl J Med 2005; 353 (13) 1374-1385
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 41 Shen S, Woo R. Coronavirus incubation could be as long as 27 days, Chinese provincial government says. UK: Reuters 20202. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-incubation/coronavirus-incubation-could-be-as-long-as-27-days-chinese-provincial-government-says-idUSKCN20G06W.
  • 42 Tran K, Cimon K, Severn M, Pessoa-Silva CL, Conly J. Aerosol generating procedures and risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections to healthcare workers: a systematic review. PLoS One 2012; 7 (04) e35797
    Google Scholar
  • 43 van Doremalen N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH. et al. Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. N Engl J Med 2020; 382 (16) 1564-1567
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Royal College of Dental Surgeon of Ontario. RCDSO_definitions_dental_care.pdf. Available at: https://cdn.agilitycms.com/rcdso/pdf/RCDSO_definitions_dental_care.pdf. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 45 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidance for dental settings. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/dental-settings.html#Management. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 46 American Dental Association. ADA.org: What constitutes a dental emergency? Available at: http://success.ada.org/~/media/CPS/Files/Open%20Files/ADA_COVID19_Dental_Emergency_DDS. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 47 Royal College of Dental Surgeon of Ontario. COVID-19: Guidance for the use of teledentistry. Available at: https://www.rcdso.org/en-ca/rcdso-members/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19—emergency-screening-of-dental-patients-using-teledentistry. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 48 Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/building-water-system.html
  • 49 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim infection prevention and control recommendations for patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare settings. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 50 Food US, Drug N. 95 respirators, surgical masks, and face masks. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-and-surgical-masks-face-masks. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 51 American Dental Association. ADA interim mask and face shield guidelines. Available at: https://success.ada.org/~/media/CPS/Files/COVID/ADA_Interim_Mask_and_Face_Shield_Guidelines.pdf. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 52 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings — 2003. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5217.pdf. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 53 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appendix B. Air. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/environmental/appendix/air.html#tableb1. Accessed Aug 29, 2020
  • 54 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using personal protective equipment (PPE). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/using-ppe.html. Accessed Aug 29, 2020