Dental care and infection-control procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: The experience in Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has now widely spread globally. The main transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 comprise human-to-human droplet infection, including inhalation and contact infection of patient's saliva,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of dental sciences 2020-09, Vol.15 (3), p.369-372
Main Authors: Lee, Ya-Ling, Chu, Dachen, Chou, Sin-Yi, Hu, Hsiao-Yun, Huang, Sheng-Jean, Yen, Yung-Feng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19
Dental care
Dental triage flowchart
Infection-control
Nosocormial infection
Short Communication
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Summary:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has now widely spread globally. The main transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 comprise human-to-human droplet infection, including inhalation and contact infection of patient's saliva, blood and other body fluids through oral mucosa, nasal mucosa, and the eyes, and orofecal transmission. Dental treatment necessitates close-proximity, face-to-face practices and can generate droplets or aerosols containing water, saliva, blood, microorganisms, and other debris during the procedure. Therefore, dental professionals are at a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To prevent nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 spread during dental procedures, Taipei City Hospital established a dental patient triage and workflow algorithm for the provision of dental services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the highly contagious nature of SARS-CoV-2, it is imperative to institute an appropriate standard procedural policy for patient management and recommendation of dental treatment at hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ISSN:1991-7902
2213-8862
DOI:10.1016/j.jds.2020.05.011