Clinical relevance of Digital Dentistry during COVID-19 outbreak: a scoped review

Aim: To perform a scoped literature review on advantages of digital workflows in dentistry that could be widely adopted to address safety issues raised during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Recent studies on any advantages of digital dentistry ­ as compared to conventional methods ­ that could help addressing the new safety demands for dental treatments that emerged due to the current pandemic were included. PUBMED, Embase, and Web of Knowledge databases were searched for eligible articles published in the last five years. The guidelines of PRISMA statement were followed during data extraction and evaluation. Results: The present search strategy yielded 181 publications. After application of exclusion criteria, a total of 34 studies were finally considered eligible to be discussed. Among the most important advantages of digital dentistry that contribute to safety during the current pandemic are: reduced number of clinical appointments required, shorter chairside time, less invasive surgeries and safer procedures. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the findings observed herein suggest that the use of digital workflows in dentistry could lead to increased safety and reduced transmission of COVID-19 during the current pandemic

Estudo da atual utilização da TCFC pelos Cirurgiões-Dentistas nas diversas especialidades / Study of current use of Cone-Beam CT by dental surgeons in the various specialties

Objetivo: Determinar, dentre os profissionais de Odontologia, o grau de formação e informação quanto ao uso da tomografia computadorizada tipo cone-beam, assim como quantificar e discriminar o uso desta ferramenta diagnóstica no cotidiano das especialidades. Materiais e métodos: Profissionais cursando algum tipo de especialização tiveram que responder a um questionário de respostas certo/errado, que continha parâmetros sobre as indicações do uso da tomografia computadorizada na Odontologia, assim como perguntas que permitiram o levantamento de informações acerca desta ferramenta diagnóstica no tocante a influência do custo do procedimento, necessidade de treinamento específico para interpretação e necessidade de investimento por parte do profissional clínico. Resultados: Pudemos observar que a indicação da técnica não está totalmente esclarecida para muitos Cirurgiões-Dentistas. A porcentagem de desconhecimento foi significativa (27%), por se tratar de radiação ionizante, que pode causar riscos estocásticos e deletérios. Pudemos observar em nossos resultados que existe um embasamento geral da técnica, pois à medida que especialistas de uma certa área acertaram questões correspondentes a outras especialidades, notamos a ocorrência de equívocos de conceitos quando eram questionados sobre o protocolo de uso em sua própria área de conhecimento. Conclusão: A divulgação dos dados obtidos será de grande valia para o clínico geral, bem como para os especialistas, no intuito de reduzir a dose de exposição desnecessária quando da indicação da técnica. A necessidade de aprimorar o conhecimento será sempre necessária, para que não tenhamos apenas o conhecimento geral, mas o específico para a área de atuação de cada um.

Objective: To determine, among dental professionals, the degree of training and information regarding the use of CBCT, as well as to quantify and discriminate the use of this diagnostic tool in specialties daily basis. Materials and methods: Professionals attending specialization courses had to answer a right/wrong answers questionnaire containing parameters of indications for the use of computed tomography in dentistry. Beyond that, they had to answer questions that allowed the collection of information about this diagnostic tool regarding the influence of the cost of the procedure, the need for specific training in the interpretation and need for investment by the clinical professional. Results: We observed that the technique is not entirely clear for many dentists. The percentage of unawareness was significant (27%) considering it is about an ionizing radiation, which can cause deleterious and stochastic risks. We observed in our results that there is a general grounding of the technique, because on the one hand experts of a determined area showed a certain knowledge of other specialties, on the other hand we verified there were misunderstandings of concepts when questioned about the protocol used in their own area of knowledge. Conclusion: The release of the data obtained will be of great value to the general practitioner as well as to specialists in order to reduce the amount of unnecessary exposure in the indication of the technique. Improve knowledge will always be necessary so we will not only have general knowledge, but the specific one to the area of each dentistry professional.