Archive | 2021
Dental Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
\n\nThe rampant spread of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide increases the likelihood that\ndental health care professionals will treat this subset of the patient population. Due to the characteristics\nof the profession and the virus, two situations deserve attention: the disinfection of surfaces that can be\ncontaminated during dental treatment and the presence of the virus in the oral cavity and the countless\npossibilities of microbial interaction with microorganisms in the oral cavity.\n\n\n\nThe objective of this review was to point out the current stage of the discussion on dental biosafety\ninvolving professionals, the work team and patients.\n\n\n\nThe following databases were consulted: MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, USA -\nNLM), Lilacs, Scielo, Embase, Web of Science and Google Academic with the keywords COVID-19\nand dental practice, dentistry, oral conditions, mouthrinses.\n\n\n\nDisinfection of surfaces has always been paramount and the protocol to prevent the spread of\nSARS-CoV-2 seems to be established. SARS-CoV-2 is vulnerable to oxidation, it is recommended to\nuse a mouth rinse containing oxidizing agents.\n\n\n\nDentists are among the professionals who are most at risk of COVID-19 infection, and they\nmust have extra attention during this period, biosafety measures must be reinforced and patients must be\nmotivated to maintain a strict oral hygiene routine so that there is no accumulation of biofilm and this\nmay somehow interfere with their systemic condition.\n