DENTAL CONSIDERATIONS AMIDST COVID-19 SCARE

Abstract

A Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan city of china capable of causing life threatening respiratory illness declared as a pandemic by WHO and has become a global fear among the community and healthcare professionals in 2020. 2019-nCoV is a positive stranded RNA virus having an origin from bats targets the host cells via the enzyme Angiotensin Converting enzyme 2(ACE2), which is most abundant in the type II alveolar cells of the lungs. This virus has usual incubation period of approximate 5 days and typically spread from one person to another via respiratory droplets produced during coughing and sneezing. Spread of this virus in the community has been reported through direct transmission route such as cough, droplet transmission, aerosols, salivary route, ocular and through the contact spread. As the dental practice compels dentists to come in face to face contact with the patients and aerosols during certain dental procedures leading to the heightened risk of 2019-nCoV transmission from infected patients. We hereby make an attempt to discuss 2019-nCoV infection spread in the community and among dentist, including precautions and considerations pertaining to the practice of dentistry amidst 2019-nCoV scare.