College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawara 43353, Saudi Arabia.
School of Dentistry, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Apr 30;17(9):3151. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093151.
COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with a high fatality rate that may reach 8%. The disease is caused by SARS-CoV-2 which is one of the coronaviruses. Realizing the severity of outcomes associated with this disease and its high rate of transmission, dentists were instructed by regulatory authorities, such as the American Dental Association, to stop providing treatment to dental patients except those who have emergency complaints. This was mainly for protection of dental healthcare personnel, their families, contacts, and their patients from the transmission of virus, and also to preserve the much-needed supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). Dentists at all times should competently follow cross-infection control protocols, but particularly during this critical time, they should do their best to decide on the emergency cases that are indicated for dental treatment. Dentists should also be updated on how this pandemic is related to their profession in order to be well oriented and prepared. This overview will address several issues concerned with the COVID-19 pandemic that directly relate to dental practice in terms of prevention, treatment, and orofacial clinical manifestations.
世界卫生组织宣布 COVID-19 为大流行疾病，其死亡率可能高达 8%。该疾病由 SARS-CoV-2 引起，它是冠状病毒之一。鉴于这种疾病的严重后果及其高传播率，监管机构（如美国牙科协会）指示牙医停止为牙科患者提供治疗，除非他们有紧急投诉。这主要是为了保护牙科医护人员、他们的家人、接触者及其患者免受病毒传播，同时也为了保护个人防护设备（PPE）的急需供应。牙医应始终熟练地遵循交叉感染控制协议，但特别是在这个关键时刻，他们应尽力决定哪些紧急情况需要进行牙科治疗。牙医还应了解大流行与他们的职业之间的关系，以便得到很好的指导和准备。这篇综述将讨论与牙科实践直接相关的几个与 COVID-19 大流行相关的问题，包括预防、治疗和口腔临床表现。
