The reminders for dental clinics in the COVID-19 post-pandemic era

Introduction: The impacts of COVID-19 are enormous and global-wide. Especially, medical treatment activities have been canceled or postponed to avoid the risk of contracting the virus. To prevent the transmission of the COVID-19, methods including early screening, isolation, mass mask use, etc. were applied during the pandemic. Due to the high percentages of vaccination and public policies, the transmission of COVID-19 is under-control.

Main text: For dental care settings, researchers have proposed guidelines for the highest-risk group of healthcare professionals to mitigate the possibility of COVID-19 transmission. Nowadays, patients are flowing to reschedule dental appointments which have been canceled or postponed during the pandemic because of the proper control of COVID-19 transmission. Some dental clinics take certain steps to ensure the safety of patients as well as the treatment team.

Conclusion: Some reminders are offered to the dental administrator to keep vigilant while providing quality service for the needed patients.

Introduction

The outbreak of COVID-19 (2019) affects human lives in various aspects, especially in health-related domains. According to WHO, the impacts of COVID-19 are enormous and global-wide [1]. Especially, medical treatment activities have been canceled or postponed to avoid the risk of contracting the virus. To prevent the transmission of the COVID-19, methods including early screening, isolation, mass mask use, etc. were applied during the pandemic [2].

For dental care settings, researchers have proposed guidelines for the highest-risk group of healthcare professionals to mitigate the possibility of COVID-19 transmission [3]. Based on a case study, the standard operating procedure which had been undertook by a chain dental clinic in Taiwan effectively control the transmission in the setting [4].

Nevertheless, after three years more confronting this highly infectious disease, it can be declared the post-pandemic era [1], with high percentages of vaccination and implantation of public policies, wearing masks for instance. As many regulations have been loosening, it is no longer mandatory for wearing a mask in public [5]. Slowly, the path of daily life returns to normal, people start to resume the activities which have been postponed during the pandemic, the busy schedule in dental clinics reflecting this phenomenon.

Besides researchers reflect on the impact of dental education in the pandemic period [6]. The treatment team's well-being has been put into concern. During the COVID-19 pandemic, blending learning which is a combination of online and traditional teaching is the preferred method, compared with traditional or online learning [7]. Those studies reflect the need to secure the safety of dental operators who have been profoundly influenced by the pandemic crisis. In addition to the refinement of dental education, some practical suggestions can be taken into consideration to provide effective and quality services for both patients and treatment team members.

Results

Besides following the general guidelines provided by the health authorities, there are still some comments worth reminding dental clinic administrators. When patients arrive at the clinic, receptionists conduct routine patient management, such as taking their temperature and asking about their health status. Also, patients are encouraged to wear masks while staying in the waiting area. In addition to disinfecting both the waiting area and treatment section, the appropriate scheduling which offers comfort and a spacious environment can mitigate patients’ anxiety. For dentists and health staff, wearing surgical masks and standard infection precautions are basic. Finally, vaccination is strongly recommended for all treatment teams and patients.

Conclusion

When people are eager to return to normal daily life in the post-pandemic era, it still needs to keep vigilant about the possible comeback of the COVID-19 virus. Lee and Lee (2021) have proposed the possibility of the implementation of contactless healthcare services in the post-COVID-19 era [8]. Anyhow, for dental treatment, direct contact is inevitable. Dental clinic administrators should make sure of the precise process of managing the patient and treatment procedure in ways to offer the clients safe and quality treatments.

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5. Coronavirus disease 2023. (COVID) Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. 2023.
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8. Lee SM, Lee D. Opportunities and challenges for contactless healthcare services in the post-COVID-19 Era. Technol Forecast Soc Change. 2021 Jun;167:120712. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120712. Epub 2021 Feb 26. PMID: 33654330; PMCID: PMC7908833.