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Modifications of emergency dental clinic protocols to combat COVID‐19 transmission
Author(s) -
Long Robert Hollinshead,
Ward Tyrous David,
Pruett Michael Edward,
Coleman John Finklea,
Plaisance Marc Charles
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/scd.12472
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , pandemic , transmission (telecommunications) , personal protective equipment , prioritization , medical emergency , incidence (geometry) , population , intensive care medicine , disease , environmental health , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , business , physics , process management , optics , electrical engineering , engineering
During the COVID‐19 pandemic, incidence rates for dental diseases will continue unabated. However, the intent to prevent the spread of this lethal respiratory disease will likely lead to reduced treatment access due to restrictions on population movements. These changes have the potential to increase dental‐related emergency department visits and subsequently contribute to greater viral transmission. Moreover, dentists experience unique challenges with preventing transmission due to frequent aerosol‐producing procedures. This paper presents reviews and protocols implemented by directors and residents at the Dental College of Georgia to manage a dental emergency clinic during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The methods presented include committee‐based prioritization of dental patients, a multilayered screening process, team rotations with social and temporal spacing, and modified treatment room protocols. These efforts aid in the reduction of viral transmission, conservation of personal protective equipment, and expand provider availability. These protocols transcend a university and hospital‐based models and are applicable to private and corporate models.