THE COVID-19 EFFECTS ON DENTISTRY

ABSTRACT

The rapid spread of the COVID-19virus and related pneumonia has posed a major challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. The infection was discovered in the city of Wuhan, Central of China and swept across the world.Theincubation period of the viruscan range from 1-14 days, and the virus spread can happen in the absence of clinical symptoms as well.The most frequently reported symptoms are fever, cough, dyspnea, and myalgia or fatigue. Modes for transmission of virus include direct transmission through coughing,sneezing, and inhalation of droplets and contact transmission through contact with nasal, oral, and ocular mucosa. Droplet and aerosol transmission of the virus are the most common causes of COVID-19 infection in dental clinics and hospitals.COVID-19 virus has lately been detected in saliva of infected patients, thus posing an alert to health professionals to be customarily vigilant in protecting against the infectious disease spread. Because of the presence of virus in saliva, it may be helpful as a non-invasive tool in the rapid detection of the virus.During this pandemic dissemination of COVID-19, dental treatment must be confined to the procedures that cannot be deferred. All the precautions must be taken in terms of triaging, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, pre-procedural mouthrinse, use of rubber dam, disinfection of the surfaces. Dental professionals are at the highest risk of COVID-19 infection;hence, dental practicehas to be reorganized in order to ensure higher safety standards for both dentists and patients.