Patient Safety Primer

COVID-19 and Dentistry: Challenges and Opportunities for Providing Safe Care

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) effectively shut down approximately 198,000 active dental practitioners in the USA. As individual states begin to resume dental care, discussion has centered on how to provide safe oral healthcare, given the nature of the virus and how easily it may be dispersed during common dental procedures. The widespread transmission of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) places dental teams at high risk for becoming infected and falling ill with COVID-19, as well as transmitting the virus to other patients, due to the unique nature of dental care interventions. This primer summarizes best practices for infection control and prevention in the dental office setting, reviews Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) guidance on treating dental patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, discusses access issues for patients needing oral healthcare, and offers various Federal and professional resources to support the reconfiguration of dental practice, the implementation of teledentistry, and the prioritization of dental care needs after practices reopen. This primer concludes with key policy and research priorities to support safe and effective dental care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.