Mouth shield to minimize airborne transmission risk of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the dental office.

Abstract

Transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and other infectious diseases is a significant risk during dental procedures because most dental interventions involve aerosols or droplets that could contaminate the surrounding environment. Current protection guidelines to address the high risk of droplets, aerosols, and airborne particle transmission of COVID-19 in the dental office recommend minimizing aerosol-generating procedures. In this paper, an innovative mouth shield is presented that should minimize water backsplash from the air-water syringe during dental treatment. The mouth shield can be added to the personal protective equipment to provide the dental team with extra protection. It can be made of different materials, is straightforward, inexpensive, and safe to fabricate, and is easy to use.