Best Practises for Dental Clinics during Covid-19: Guidelines for Practitioners

In the last twenty years, this is the third time that viruses have created havoc. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2014, and COVID-19 in 2019. Such diseases have made the routine functioning challenging and have imposed restrictions on many health services due to the high chances of transmission of disease. The dentists, work in proximity to the mouth of the patient which is the prime source of droplet transmitted infection and since many dental procedures lead to aerosol generation, the safety of the dental surgeon and staff is a matter of concern. Since many patients of COVID-19 are asymptomatic, they can be a potential source of infection, making the situation grave. This article highlights some important steps that should be taken care of by dental practitioners before opening the clinics after the lockdown, during treating patients, and after rendering treatment. Some disinfection protocols, patient triaging, medications, use of PPE's and protocols for patients and doctors to make dental services safe are suggested. The level of precautions or restrictions while practicing dentistry can be relaxed as per the state advisories and when the statistics of infected patients in the region where you practice reduces. Though there is so much information available online and through social communication platforms, the reader can get confused. This article attempts to summarise the key points crucial for practitioners, who are sometimes also the bread earners of the family, based on current scientific evidence, thus practicing safe dentistry