IADR Abstract Archives
Contamination Risks and Infection Control in the Dental Clinics During the COVID-19 Outbreak : a Systematic Review
Objectives: In this systematic review, we will discuss the possible routes of transmission of SARS-CoV2 in dental clinics and the specific control protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.
Methods: Systematic searches were performed of all indexed studies in PubMed/Medline and Ebscohost (EBSCO). We anticipated the fact that some studies published in local journals might not be indexed on the MEDLINE or EBSCO databases; therefore, an additional search was made on Google Scholar using the same keywords. Searches were performed from January to May 2020 by combining keywords (COVID-19, 2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV2, Dentistry, Transmission, Prevention and Control) and following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Extraction and qualitative assessment of included studies were performed by two reviewers.
Results: A total of 63 articles were identified and based on the inclusions and exclusions criteria, 15 articles were included in the final review: 12 literature reviews and 3 experimental studies.
The main findings from available data concluded that the virus spreads through respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact, however, airborne transmission in dental offices has not been ruled out because of the inevitable generation of tremendous amounts of aerosol and droplet mixed with patient’s saliva or other body fluids during dental procedures. Hence, aerosol transmission needs further studies. 3 studies identified SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva of patients and concluded that the presence of COVID-19 in oral fluids and its effect on the transmission of this virus needs further investigation. Moreover, besides standard precautions, special prevention control such as postponing routine appointments and wearing personal protection equipment can prevent the transmission of the disease, especially by asymptomatic carriers.
Conclusions: Dental procedures generate aerosols and droplets that can be highly contaminated with SARS-CoV2 justifying additional preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies investigating the aerosol transmission in dental clinics as well as saliva transmission are highly needed.
Methods: Systematic searches were performed of all indexed studies in PubMed/Medline and Ebscohost (EBSCO). We anticipated the fact that some studies published in local journals might not be indexed on the MEDLINE or EBSCO databases; therefore, an additional search was made on Google Scholar using the same keywords. Searches were performed from January to May 2020 by combining keywords (COVID-19, 2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV2, Dentistry, Transmission, Prevention and Control) and following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Extraction and qualitative assessment of included studies were performed by two reviewers.
Results: A total of 63 articles were identified and based on the inclusions and exclusions criteria, 15 articles were included in the final review: 12 literature reviews and 3 experimental studies.
The main findings from available data concluded that the virus spreads through respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact, however, airborne transmission in dental offices has not been ruled out because of the inevitable generation of tremendous amounts of aerosol and droplet mixed with patient’s saliva or other body fluids during dental procedures. Hence, aerosol transmission needs further studies. 3 studies identified SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva of patients and concluded that the presence of COVID-19 in oral fluids and its effect on the transmission of this virus needs further investigation. Moreover, besides standard precautions, special prevention control such as postponing routine appointments and wearing personal protection equipment can prevent the transmission of the disease, especially by asymptomatic carriers.
Conclusions: Dental procedures generate aerosols and droplets that can be highly contaminated with SARS-CoV2 justifying additional preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies investigating the aerosol transmission in dental clinics as well as saliva transmission are highly needed.