Recommendations for returning to dental practice

Iveta Ramonaite, DTI

Wed. 20 May 2020

save

MANCHESTER, UK: Restrictions related to SARS-CoV-2 transmission are easing, and dental professionals need to start planning the eventual reopening and restructuring of dental clinics. To offer best practices for reopening and assist policymakers and decision makers with producing comprehensive national guidance, experts from across the UK have recently reviewed various reports on national recommendations for returning to normal clinical working practices after the lockdown.

The guidance documents on the current requirements for the reopening of dental services were published by international organisations and professional bodies and reviewed by a group of researchers and clinicians led by Prof. Janet Clarkson from the University of Manchester and Prof. Craig Ramsay from the University of Aberdeen.

The researchers identified sources from 11 countries and found that relevant recommendations fell into five themes, namely practice preparation, use of personal protective equipment, management of the clinical area, dental procedures, and cleaning and disinfection procedures.

The findings showed that all sources emphasised the need to focus on activities that minimise the risk of transmission to staff, patients and the public, but still support high-quality clinical care. This, according to the reports, could be achieved by using preoperative mouthwashes, high-volume suction, dental dams and personal protective equipment.

The majority of the sources recommend patient triage by telephone, while some recommend temperature screening at reception. Most sources recommend the avoidance of aerosol-generating procedures.

The researchers reported that the findings indicated a strong need for clarity regarding effective cleaning and disinfection processes, including the impact on patient scheduling practices and efficient practice workflow. Additionally, they noted an apparent lack of referencing and evidence to support the majority of the statements made in the guidance papers.

“There is now an urgent need to map out how dental services are to return to providing wider patient care. Given that we have only really known about COVID-19 for about 120 days, robust evidence to inform how to approach reopening is scarce or non-existent,” Clarkson explained. “The same concerns exist across the world and, therefore, we decided to formally review the recommendations being produced in different countries as a resource for decision makers.”

“The review collates the range of recommendations related to each theme from the various sources identified. I would like to stress that this review is not guidance but, in the absence of robust evidence, it should assist policymakers and decision makers in producing national guidance for their own settings,” Clarkson concluded.

According to the available information, it is likely that dental practices in the UK will resume normal service from 4 July, when businesses such as bars, cinemas and hotels are also planned to reopen.

The review, titled Recommendations for the Re-opening of Dental Services: A Rapid Review of International Sources, was published on 6 May 2020 on the Cochrane Oral Health website.

Tags:

2 thoughts on “Experts review recommendations for returning to dental practice”

Lance Nakamitsu,DDS says:

May 29, 2020 at 8:42 pm

How can we request for PPEs that were provided by the government?
Maite Moreno Delgado DDS MS says:

May 25, 2020 at 2:11 am

I am Maite Moreno Delgado DDS, MS and was part of the Editorial Comitte for Dental Tribune. I will be lecturing on May 28th about COVID 19 Dentists with formal dental laser education. The webminar will be by zoom and the donations will be used for research when the economy reactivates. The time I will be lecturing is 7,30 am (pacific time ) . My email is maitecares@yahoo.com

To post a reply please login or register

Review challenges dental health recommendation to avoid dried fruits

BETHERSDEN, UK: Dental health associations worldwide, including the British Oral Health Foundation, usually advise against snacking on dried fruits. Owing ...

Dental practices no longer allowed to charge for non-cash payments

LONDON, UK: A new regulation is being introduced by government this week, which will ban businesses in the UK, including dental practices, from charging ...

Pathways for selling or purchasing a dental practice

According to a recent survey by the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers, private buyers and small groups in the UK have ...

Dental experts call for radical rethink on free sugars intake

LONDON – Sugars in the diet should make up no more than 3 per cent of total energy intake to reduce the significant financial and social burdens of ...

Costs for UK dental practices are rising

KNUTSFORD, UK: The cost of running a dental practice in England and Wales has increased within the last 12 months. In a recent survey carried out by the ...

Dental students need better-quality artificial teeth for practice

LONDON, UK: Many dental students have reported frustration with typodont teeth that require significantly more force to cut than extracted teeth, thus ...

“Photography is absolutely critical for the modern dental practice”

Dr Mahfuz Rahman is a dentist and founder of Frisco Dental Studio in Texas in the US. He is also a dental photography enthusiast and takes great pleasure in...

Health experts unite for anti-sugar campaign

LONDON – In order to tackle and reverse the obesity and diabetic epidemic, health experts from across the globe have formed a group called Action on ...

Invisalign Go en route to success—2016 in review

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: With launches in Germany, the UK, France and Italy, numerous Invisalign Go introductory seminars and a series of enhancements for ...

Scottish dental practices to receive life-saving equipment

EDINBURGH – The National Health Service (NHS) for Scotland is planning to install defibrillators at every NHS dental practice across Scotland. With ...

Education

On-demand
webinar