The Royal London Dental Hospital, Barts and The London, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Barts Health Trust, Turner Street, London, E1 2AD, UK.
Major Trauma Ward, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Praed Street, Paddington, London, W2 1NY, UK.
Br Dent J. 2020 Jul;229(2):89-92. doi: 10.1038/s41415-020-1854-6.
In a national or global crisis, a healthcare system and its workforce should have the flexibility and resilience to deliver the required level of care for all its constituents. The current COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid decisions and early redeployment of staff to deliver essential healthcare. Having the dental team as part of this strategy would increase availability of healthcare workers. They have the potential to make a significant contribution as part of the medical workforce during national and global crises. The desirability of redeploying dentists at short notice is supported by several factors: they are accustomed to working in stressful situations, are effective communicators, are familiar with infection control procedures and work wearing PPE, are immunised and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)-checked, and undergo regular training in the management of medical emergencies. Dentists are also experienced in administrative tasks and have knowledge of legislation. They have additional resilience from working in different settings. They have the potential to make a significant contribution as part of the medical workforce during national and global crises.
在国家或全球危机中，医疗体系及其工作人员应具有灵活性和弹性，为其所有成员提供所需的护理水平。当前的 COVID-19 大流行需要迅速做出决策，并尽早重新部署工作人员提供基本医疗服务。让牙科团队成为这一战略的一部分将增加医疗工作者的数量。他们有可能作为医疗工作者在国家和全球危机期间做出重大贡献。在短时间内重新部署牙医是可取的，这有几个因素支持：他们习惯于在紧张的情况下工作，是有效的沟通者，熟悉感染控制程序并穿着个人防护装备工作，已接种疫苗并通过了披露和禁令服务（DBS）检查，并且定期接受医疗急救管理方面的培训。牙医还擅长行政工作，并且了解立法。他们在不同环境中工作具有额外的适应力。他们有可能作为医疗工作者在国家和全球危机期间做出重大贡献。
