The diagnosis and prevention of coronavirus disease in dental clinic – a review article

AIM: This review aims to highlight the route of transmission, clinical features, diagnosis, prevention, and protection requirements for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in dental clinics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review is built on specific protocol, two independent reviewers, each focused on articles related to COVID-19 and infection control in dental clinics, while the third independent reviewer resolved any conflicting article of interest. RESULTS: Respiratory droplets are the main routes of transmission of COVID-19. The main symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test on respiratory tract specimens is the most commonly used technique to detect COVID19. Combined nose and throat swabs and rectal swab are recommended to avoid false results. Personal protective equipment and evaluation are essential for every patient before starting any dental treatment, and following the instructions for infection control to avoid the spread of COVID19. In dental office, suspected patient with COVID-19 or presence of symptoms such as losing sense of smell and taste, in these cases dental treatment, must be postponed for 14 days. Evaluation of patient body temperature, screening, and answering questions related to contact COVID19 are crucial to make the decision to start or delay dental treatment to avoid COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Strict infection control procedures should be recommended. Patients recovered recently from COVID-19 may have treatment deferred for 28 days from onset of symptoms to avoid cross-infection. Anti-restrictive valves dental handpieces should be used to avoid cross-infection of COVID-19.

Systematic review with no meta-analysis of coronavirus COVID-19

AIMS: COVID-19 is a new virus which has spread to most countries in the world. Many papers have been published on the clinical manifestations of this virus. This paper concentrates only on the clinical cases and prognosis of COVID-19 presented in the literature. METHODS: Systematic review is done, and taken into consideration, all published papers in the literature related to COVID-19. Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been applied. RESULTS: Few papers have been determined after many filtrations of all published papers concerning inclusion and exclusion criteria to assess outcome of existing COVID-19. Most published papers or reports did not provide full details for each case. CONCLUSION: Most clinical description data in these reports are so limited and missing some of the critical elements such as the date of infection, source of infection, symptoms, diagnostic criteria, incubation of infection, transmission of infection, number of identified cases after contact with infected patients, and health workers are affected or not by treatment of infected patients, patient age, and type of study. No clear evidence of the treatment plan and the prevention and most data in literature depending on personal experience only which is different from country to others. © 2020 Bassel Tarakji, Faisal Mehsen Alali, Adel Alenzi, Mohammad Zakaria Nassani.