Future Implications of COVID-19 on Pediatric Dental Settings: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

The whole world is amidst coronavirus outbreak which originated in Wuhan City, China, in the late December 2019. Coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person through direct or indirect contact or through aerosols generated during various medical and dental procedures. This has significant impact on dental health professionals who are at risk of infection. The purpose of this study is to assess the future impact of “coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)” on pediatric dental settings. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to various pediatric dentists across the globe through e-mail, which assessed their current state of mind and future preparation for practice. The collected data were analyzed, and percentage analysis was used to describe the data. The majority of study subjects (97%) believed that COVID-19 would affect the dental practice. In all, 86.1% would defer dental treatment to suspicious patients, and 91.5% would look for COVID-19 signs and symptoms after resuming practice. In all, 96.4% of professionals would follow universal precautions of infection control for every patient, and 98.8% would like World Health Organization (WHO) to issue guidelines for dental practitioners. Dental health professionals are well informed about COVID-19 and are preparing themselves for future practice using WHO and other Dental Associations guidelines. Kumar G, Rehman F, Haq JA. Future Implications of COVID-19 on Pediatric Dental Settings: A Cross-sectional Study. J Oral Health Comm Dent 2020;14(2):39–43.