Tsubura Yasuhiro, Komiyama Yuske, Ohtani Saori, Hyodo Toshiki, Shiraishi Ryo, Yagisawa Shuma, Yaguchi Erika, Tsubura-Okubo Maki, Houzumi Hajime, Nemoto Masato, Kikuchi Jin, Fukumoto Chonji, Izumi Sayaka, Wakui Takahiro, Wake Koji, Kawamata Hitoshi
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Dokkyo Medical, 880 Kitakobayashi Mibu Shimotsuga, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan.
Yasu Kazu Charm Dental Clinic, 2-4-35 Takinohara Utsunomiya, Tochigi 320-0846, Japan.
Infect Dis Rep. 2025 Jun 13;17(3):70. doi: 10.3390/idr17030070.
Dental professionals were thought to have the most significant risk of coronavirus infection during the pandemic. Since the first Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient was detected in Japan in January 2020, Japan has faced several waves of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. However, no cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections associated with dental procedures has been reported in Japan. In this study, we aimed to investigate the actual status of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic through antibody testing for dental professionals. We further investigated saliva and oral management-related aerosol to estimate the risk of virus transmission during dental procedures.
SARS-CoV-2 antibody titer in the blood of dental professionals and their families was determined during the pre-vaccinated period of the SARS-CoV-2 wave to see the history of infection in Japan. Viral loads in saliva and in the aerosol generated during the oral management of COVID-19 patients were detected by RT-qPCR.
The antibody testing of dental healthcare providers during the early phases of the pandemic in Japan revealed low antibody positivity, which supported the low incidence of infection clusters among dental clinics. The aerosol generated during dental procedures may contain trace levels of SARS-CoV-2, indicating the risk of transmission through dental procedures is limited. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 did not spread through dental clinics.
Very few SARS-CoV-2 infections were observed in dental professionals who took appropriate infection control measures in the early period of the pandemic. Performing dental procedures using standard precautions seems to be sufficient to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections.
在疫情期间，牙科专业人员被认为感染冠状病毒的风险最高。自2020年1月日本发现首例2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）患者以来，日本已面临多波严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染。然而，日本尚未报告与牙科诊疗相关的SARS-CoV-2感染聚集性病例。在本研究中，我们旨在通过对牙科专业人员进行抗体检测，调查疫情期间SARS-CoV-2感染的实际情况。我们还进一步研究了唾液和口腔操作相关气溶胶，以评估牙科诊疗过程中病毒传播风险。
在SARS-CoV-2流行的疫苗接种前时期，测定牙科专业人员及其家属血液中的SARS-CoV-2抗体滴度，以了解日本的感染史。通过逆转录定量聚合酶链反应（RT-qPCR）检测COVID-19患者口腔操作过程中产生的唾液和气溶胶中的病毒载量。
日本疫情早期对牙科医护人员的抗体检测显示抗体阳性率较低，这支持了牙科诊所感染聚集性病例发生率较低的情况。牙科诊疗过程中产生的气溶胶可能含有微量的SARS-CoV-2，表明通过牙科诊疗传播的风险有限。因此，SARS-CoV-2未在牙科诊所传播。
在疫情早期采取适当感染控制措施的牙科专业人员中，很少观察到SARS-CoV-2感染。采用标准预防措施进行牙科诊疗似乎足以预防SARS-CoV-2感染。
