Precautions and Recommendations for Orthodontic Settings During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Review

Overview

Journal Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Dentistry

Date 2020 May 15

PMID 32405152

Citations 35

Authors

Khadijah A Turkistani

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). It emerged as a global pandemic in early 2020, affecting more than 200 countries and territories. The infection is highly contagious, with disease transmission reported from asymptomatic carriers, including children. It spreads through person-to-person contact via aerosol and droplets. The practice of social distancing-maintaining a distance of 1-2 m or 6 ft-between people has been recommended widely to slow or halt the spread. In orthodontics, this distance is difficult to maintain, which places orthodontists at a high risk of acquiring and transmitting the infection. The objective of this review is to report to orthodontists on the emergence, epidemiology, risks, and precautions during the disease crisis. This review should help increase awareness, reinforce infection control, and prevent cross-transmission within the orthodontic facility.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review of English and non-English articles was performed in March 2020 using COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19 2020), PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar to search for infection control and disease transmission in orthodontics.

Results: This review emphasizes minimizing aerosol production and reinforcing strict infection control measures. Compliance with the highest level of personal protection and restriction of treatment to emergency cases is recommended during the outbreak. Surface disinfection, adequate ventilation, and decontamination of instruments and supplies following the guidelines are required.

Conclusions: Reinforcing strict infection control measures and minimizing personal contact and aerosol production are keys to prevent contamination within orthodontic settings. Although no cases of COVID-19 cross-transmission within a dental facility have been reported, the risk exists, and the disease is still emerging. Further studies are required.

Citing Articles

Transfer Accuracy of 3D-Printed Customized Devices in Digital Indirect Bonding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Campobasso A, Battista G, Fiorillo G, Caldara G, Lo Muzio E, Ciavarella D Int J Dent. 2024; 2023:5103991.

PMID: 39263628 PMC: 11390225. DOI: 10.1155/2023/5103991.

Patients' and Parents' Concerns over Orthodontic Treatment during the COVID - 19 Pandemic.

Trinajstic Zrinski M, Anic P, Matosic Z, Anic Milosevic S, Mestrovic S, Lapter Varga M Acta Stomatol Croat. 2024; 58(2):156-168.

PMID: 39036326 PMC: 11256874. DOI: 10.15644/asc58/2/5.

Orthodontic care in orthodontic patients during the COVID-2019 pandemic: emergency, emergency response and orthodontic treatment preference.

Miao Z, Zhang H, Han Y, Wang L, Wang S BMC Oral Health. 2023; 23(1):364.

PMID: 37277764 PMC: 10241138. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03066-z.

Orthodontic emergencies and mental health of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment during COVID-19 pandemic: A questionnaire study.

Verma S, Bhupali N, Singh S, Kumar V, Verma R J Oral Biol Craniofac Res. 2022; 13(2):177-185.

PMID: 36573125 PMC: 9773783. DOI: 10.1016/j.jobcr.2022.12.007.

The effect of COVID-19 on emergencies and pain among orthodontic patients attending a teaching hospital.

Al-Fadhily Z, Mohammed D, Hammed H, Al-Huwaizi A J Med Life. 2022; 15(10):1267-1271.

PMID: 36420279 PMC: 9675302. DOI: 10.25122/jml-2022-0208.

References

Oshagh M, Hematiyan M, Mohandes Y, Oshagh M, Pishbin L . Autoclaving and clinical recycling: effects on mechanical properties of orthodontic wires. Indian J Dent Res. 2013; 23(5):638-42. DOI: 10.4103/0970-9290.107382. View

Meng L, Hua F, Bian Z . Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Emerging and Future Challenges for Dental and Oral Medicine. J Dent Res. 2020; 99(5):481-487. PMC: 7140973. DOI: 10.1177/0022034520914246. View

Barnes J, Harrel S, Rivera-Hidalgo F . Blood contamination of the aerosols produced by in vivo use of ultrasonic scalers. J Periodontol. 1998; 69(4):434-8. DOI: 10.1902/jop.1998.69.4.434. View

Shah R, Collins J, Hodge T, Laing E . A national study of cross infection control: 'are we clean enough?'. Br Dent J. 2009; 207(6):267-74. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2009.824. View

Redd J, Baumbach J, Kohn W, Nainan O, Khristova M, Williams I . Patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis B virus associated with oral surgery. J Infect Dis. 2007; 195(9):1311-4. DOI: 10.1086/513435. View

Vendrell R, Hayden C, Taloumis L . Effect of steam versus dry-heat sterilization on the wear of orthodontic ligature-cutting pliers. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2002; 121(5):467-71. DOI: 10.1067/mod.2002.122175. View

Omidkhoda M, Rashed R, Bagheri Z, Ghazvini K, Shafaee H . Comparison of three different sterilization and disinfection methods on orthodontic markers. J Orthod Sci. 2016; 5(1):14-7. PMC: 4778172. DOI: 10.4103/2278-0203.176653. View

Wichelhaus A, Bader F, Sander F, Krieger D, Mertens T . Effective disinfection of orthodontic pliers. J Orofac Orthop. 2006; 67(5):316-36. DOI: 10.1007/s00056-006-0622-9. View

Dutil S, Meriaux A, de Latremoille M, Lazure L, Barbeau J, Duchaine C . Measurement of airborne bacteria and endotoxin generated during dental cleaning. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2008; 6(2):121-30. DOI: 10.1080/15459620802633957. View

10.

. The species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2. Nat Microbiol. 2020; 5(4):536-544. PMC: 7095448. DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0695-z. View

11.

Sheriteh Z, Hassan T, Sherriff M, Cobourne M, Cobourne M, Riley P . Decontamination of viable Streptococcus mutans from orthodontic tungsten carbide debonding burs. An in vitro microbiological study. J Orthod. 2010; 37(3):181-7. DOI: 10.1179/14653121043083. View

12.

Rothe C, Schunk M, Sothmann P, Bretzel G, Froeschl G, Wallrauch C . Transmission of 2019-nCoV Infection from an Asymptomatic Contact in Germany. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(10):970-971. PMC: 7120970. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2001468. View

13.

Chang D, Xu H, Rebaza A, Sharma L, Dela Cruz C . Protecting health-care workers from subclinical coronavirus infection. Lancet Respir Med. 2020; 8(3):e13. PMC: 7128440. DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30066-7. View

14.

Tang H, Yao Z, Wang W . [Emergency management of prevention and control of the novel coronavirus infection in departments of stomatology]. Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2020; 55(4):246-248. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112144-20200205-00037. View

15.

Chan J, Yuan S, Kok K, To K, Chu H, Yang J . A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet. 2020; 395(10223):514-523. PMC: 7159286. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30154-9. View

16.

Zhou P, Yang X, Wang X, Hu B, Zhang L, Zhang W . A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature. 2020; 579(7798):270-273. PMC: 7095418. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2012-7. View

17.

Hassan S, Sheikh F, Jamal S, Ezeh J, Akhtar A . Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Review of Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Cureus. 2020; 12(3):e7355. PMC: 7170025. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.7355. View

18.

Starnbach H, Biddle P . A pragmatic approach to asepsis in the orthodontic office. Angle Orthod. 1980; 50(1):63-6. DOI: 10.1043/0003-3219(1980)050<0063:APATAI>2.0.CO;2. View

19.

Rautemaa R, Nordberg A, Wuolijoki-Saaristo K, Meurman J . Bacterial aerosols in dental practice - a potential hospital infection problem?. J Hosp Infect. 2006; 64(1):76-81. PMC: 7114873. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2006.04.011. View

20.

Crotty O, Davies E, Jones S . The effects of cross-infection control procedures on the tensile and flexural properties of superelastic nickel-titanium wires. Br J Orthod. 1996; 23(1):37-41. DOI: 10.1179/bjo.23.1.37. View