The “OMFS/Dental Practice Guideline during SARS-COV-2 Pandemic”

Abstract

World is threatened by Novel Corona Virus (SARS-COV-2) to an extent that life has been jeopardized in all services however the dental services affected most among all the other health services. The first case of SARS-COV-2 was reported in Nepal on 24th January 2020; and as the number of cases escalating worldwide, WHO declared a Global Pandemic on 11th March 2020. Nepal Government has declared nationwide lockdown with permit to open essential serviced from 24th March 2020 and extended the lockdown till 2nd June 2020 as of this day.

Dental practice is considered as high risk category for SARS COV-19 due to contamination with saliva and aerosol generating procedures which accounts about more than 90%. More than 90% dental procedure generates droplet nuclei which are not protected even by N95 mask. The OMFS service is emergency care in Dentistry, but it is not recommended to run all the OMFS/dental services without protective gear.

We are uncertain how long the situation lasts. Moreover, from the evidence that are available presently, the risk of viral transmission is high among medical personnel involved in examination, procedures and surgeries around head and neck region including OMFS/Dentistry.

The guidelines given by national and international bodies may not be directly applicable to every country and OMFS/Dental practice in Nepal. Moreover, knowledge on SARS COV-2 etiology, presentation and outcome is evolving. Therefore, this article aims to discuss basic; evidence based    guidelines for OMFS/Dental professionals throughout Nepal in order to reduce viral transmission during SARS COV-2 pandemics.