Association between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and respiratory diseases: Consensus report of the Joint Workshop by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and the European arm of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA Europe).

AIM: To explore the implications for dentists and family doctors of the association between periodontal and systemic diseases and the role of dentists and family doctors in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promoting healthy lifestyles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The consensus reports of the previous Focused Workshops on the associations between periodontitis and diabetes (2017) and periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases (2019) formed the technical reviews to underpin discussions on both topics. For the association with respiratory diseases, a systematic review was specifically commissioned for the Workshop discussions. Working groups prepared proposals independently, and then the proposals were discussed and approved at plenary meetings. RESULTS: Periodontitis is independently associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea and COVID-19 complications. Dentists and family doctors should collaborate in managing NCDs, implementing strategies for early detection of periodontitis in primary care centres and of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes in dental settings. Family doctors should be informed about periodontal diseases and their consequences, and oral health professionals (OHPs) should be informed about the relevance of NCDs and the associated risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Closer collaboration between OHPs and family doctors is important in the early detection and management of NCDs and in promoting healthy lifestyles. Pathways for early case detection of periodontitis in family medicine practices and of NCDs in dental practices should be developed and evaluated.

Attitudes toward Vaccinations and Vaccination Coverage Rates among Dental Students in Greece.

Our aim was to study attitudes toward vaccinations, full vaccination rates and susceptibility rates against vaccine-preventable diseases among students attending a University Dental School. A total of 134 students were studied. Full vaccination rates were as follows: 56.5% against measles and mumps, 70.6% against rubella, 32.3% against varicella, 44.1% against hepatitis A, 45.9% against hepatitis B, and 87.7% against COVID-19. In the past decade, 63.2% of students had received a booster shot against tetanus-diphtheria, 47.8% against pertussis, and 28.1% against poliomyelitis, while 29.4% of students had been vaccinated against influenza in the past year. Susceptibility rates were 40.4% for measles, 42.4% for mumps, 28.3% for rubella, 32.3% for varicella, 55.3% for hepatitis A, 54.1% for hepatitis B, 36.8% for tetanus-diphtheria, 52.2% for pertussis, and 71.9% for poliomyelitis. Overall, 123 (91.8%) students favored mandatory vaccinations, mainly for all dentists (88.4%), while 11.6% of students favored them only for dentists who provide care to high-risk patients. In conclusion, most dental students favored mandatory vaccinations, yet we found significant vaccination gaps and susceptibility rates against vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccinations for dental students should be intensified. A national vaccination registry for healthcare personnel including dental students is urgently needed.

Indoor Air Quality Evaluation Using Mechanical Ventilation and Portable Air Purifiers in an Academic Dentistry Clinic during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is mainly transmitted through droplets without overlooking other sources of transmission, rendered attention on the air quality in indoor areas and more specifically in healthcare settings. The improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ) is ensured by frequent changes of the air that must be carried out in healthcare areas and with assistance from special devices that undertake the filtration of the air and its purification through special filters and lamps. In this research, the performance of air purifiers is assessed in terms of the limitation of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs and CO2 in a postgraduate clinic of the Dentistry School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in parallel with mechanical ventilation. Our findings indicate that the use of mechanical ventilation plays a key role on the results, retaining good IAQ levels within the clinic and that air purifiers show a positive impact on IAQ by mainly reducing the levels of PM2.5 and secondly of TVOC.

Preparing dental schools to refunction safely during the COVID-19 pandemic: an infection prevention and control perspective.

In late 2019 a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in China and spread throughout the world over a short period of time causing a pandemic of a respiratory disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 is easily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets and direct contact. The scarce available data indicate that dental healthcare personnel are at increased risk for acquisition of infection. Following the lockdown lifting, dental schools should be prepared to refunction safely and provide essential educational and healthcare services while protecting their students, patients, and personnel. The generation of aerosols in dental practice, in association with the high-transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 through aerosol-generation procedures, the simultaneous provision of dental services to patients in the same areas, and the fact that asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infected persons may transmit the virus, render the implementation of specific infection prevention and control measures imperative for dental schools. Herein we review the few evidence-based data available to guide infection prevention and control measures for COVID-19 in dental schools.