Improvement of Infection Control Measures during Dental Manipulations

Abstract

When performing dental manipulations, infection control plays a special role, since its violation will negate all the efforts of the dentist, as well as allow various infectious and bacterial complications to develop in the body, as a result of which the patient's health will be significantly harmed. Infection control in dentistry is especially important at the present stage, when the spread of coronavirus infection has not yet been stopped, and the world is already experiencing the third wave of COVID-19. So, today it is very important to evaluate the existing infection control measures taken in dental health organizations, both private and public, and to investigate the measures proposed in the literature to reduce the transmission of both the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases to patients. Infection control measures in dentistry are aimed at minimizing the cross-transmission of mainly blood-borne pathogens. However, the high degree of contagion of the new coronavirus, as well as the possibility of the appearance of such viruses in the future, makes specialists already think about the need to improve infection control measures in order to preserve the health of patients and make dental manipulations as safe as possible for them. This is especially important for elderly patients, in whom complications from coronavirus-like infectious diseases can be fatal. In dental practice, many people are at risk, such as the practitioner, assistants, patients, administrative staff, cleaners, and possibly accompanying people. Standard precautions are usually not sufficient during the active spread of infections, so it is important to use proper PPE and follow hand hygiene. The sequence of consultations and scheduling of appointments with patients, as well as making changes to the waiting area, are also important. To minimize aerosol contamination, mouthwash should be performed before treatment. It should be taken into account that fans with NERA filters can significantly reduce the number of aerosols and, accordingly, reduce the level of pathogenicity of viruses. The aim of the work is to consider the measures proposed in the publications aimed at improving the measures of infection control during dental manipulations.