The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentistry and Dental Education: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Dentists and dental staff have an increased risk of airborne infection with pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 since they are exposed to high levels of droplets and aerosols produced during specific dental procedures. Hence, new guidelines such as patient screening and temperature control, air purification, space, surface and hand sanitizing and the use of protective equipment and physical barriers have been successfully implemented. In addition, the use of teledentistry has expanded considerably in pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral medicine and periodontics in order to address oral and dental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic while minimizing virus transmission. Thus, teleconsultation, telediagnosis, teletriage, teletreatment and telemonitoring have emerged as valuable tools not only in the delivery of care, but also in the academic and research training of dental health professionals. This narrative review summarizes the current literature on the impact of the pandemic on dental care, dental staff and dental education, with an emphasis on how newly emerging protocols and technologies can be successfully utilized as integral parts of various branches of the dental practice and their future implications without compromising patient care.

Possibilities and challenges in digital personal identification using teledentistry based on integration of telecommunication and dental information: a narrative review

“…Recent studies reported increasing awareness regarding the efforts to integrate telecommunication and dentistry, known as teledentistry; and the recent efforts to develop PI methods using teledentistry. 7 – 9 , 11 – 19 Conversely, this current review has identified problems that need to be solved in various aspects such as changes in dentition, technology, and privacy and ethics. 20 – 26 Therefore, at this time, dental researchers have to recognize that teledentistry is a complementary method for PI.…”

“…Under these circumstances, teledentistry is getting a lot of attention. 7 – 10 There is a possibility that teledentistry may become a powerful tool for maintaining oral health, and for the diagnosis of dental/oral disorders and conditions, in members of the general public that find it difficult to visit a dentist. 7 – 9 …”

“…4 Teledentistry integrates telecommunications and dentistry thereby making it possible to exchange and use clinical information and images. [7][8][9] As a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, digitization has revolutionized the field of healthcare, employment and education worldwide. 10 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cities around the world have taken measures to lockdown, i.e.…”

“…Under these circumstances, teledentistry is getting a lot of attention. [7][8][9][10] There is a possibility that teledentistry may become a powerful tool for maintaining oral health, and for the diagnosis of dental/oral disorders and conditions, in members of the general public that find it difficult to visit a dentist. [7][8][9] The objective of this article was to review the possibilities and problems associated with digital PI methods using teledentistry.…”

Is tele-diagnosis of dental conditions reliable during COVID-19 pandemic? Agreement between tentative diagnosis via synchronous audioconferencing and definitive clinical diagnosis

“…A move from traditional care to virtual health technologies became critical to continue patient care and reduce transmission [ 5 , 6 ]. Teledentistry (TD) emerged as a valuable tool to address oral and dental health issues during the pandemic [7] . It employs telecommunication and digital technology for consultation, treatment planning and dental care from different geographical locations [ 8 , 9 ].…”