Abstract

PROTECTION AND CARE FROM COVID-19 IN DENTAL PRACTICE

Dr. Shekhar Prasad, Dr. Soma Ghosh and Priyanka Bhowmik*

ABSTRACT

The current pandemic of Covid-19 has sparked global anxiety and con-cern. This severe and even fatal pneumonia caused by a novel strain of β- coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first reported in the city of Wuhan, China in December 2019 and rapidly spread to other part of the world. These coronaviruses were identified in the mid-1960s and are known to infect humans and a variety of animals (including birds and mam-mals). Since 2002, two coronaviruses infecting animals have evolved and caused outbreaks in humans: SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respirato-ry Syndrome) identified in southern China in 2003, and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Together, they have caused more than 1600 deaths. This new 2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2is different from SARS-CoV, but shares the same host receptor the human angioten-sin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The person-to-person transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 includes direct transmission, such as cough, sneeze, droplet inhalation transmission, and con-tact transmission, such as the contact with oral, nasal, and eye mucous membranes. It can also be transmitted through the saliva, and the fecal–oral routes may also be a potential person-to-person transmission route. Due to the characteristics of spread of this virus, the dental profes-sionals are exposed to tremendous risk of Covid-19 cross infection due to the face-to-face communication and during the exposure to saliva, blood, and other body fluids, and the han-dling of sharp instruments and performing aerosol generating procedures.For this reason den-tal practices urgently need strict and effective infection control measures. Here we try to dis-cuss the infection control protocols during dental practice to block the transmission routes during treatment to provide protection for dental practitioners.

Keywords: Covid-19, Corona virus, Dentistry, aerosol, pathogen.