The SARS-CoV-2 virus infects cells in the mouth and can be transmitted via saliva, according to research from the National Institutes of Health and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill published March 25 in Nature.

Davie, Fla.-based Nova Southeastern University will pay $5.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit after students at its post-graduate orthodontic clinic used improperly sterilized equipment, the Florida Bulldog reported March 24.

Below are four recent stories regarding dental professionals' roles administering COVID-19 vaccines.

The Iowa House has voted to let dentists administer COVID-19 vaccines and give the shots at their practices if they want to, though some are questioning the move, reports Radio Iowa.

A Nevada proposal would allow dentists statewide to administer vaccines for diseases such as the flu or human papillomavirus, reports Nevada Business.

HHS on March 11 amended an emergency declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act to permit dentists and dental students, among other providers, to administer COVID-19 vaccines.

More than 100 organizations have endorsed dental therapy, according to the National Partnership for Dental Therapy.

Fresno (Calif.) Dental Studio is offering COVID-19 vaccinations right at the practice, reports ABC affiliate KFSN-TV.

Though dental hygienists are listed on Utah's state health department website as authorized after training to administer COVID-19 vaccines, the state is currently not accepting hygienists as volunteers, according to NBC affiliate KSL-TV.

New York University College of Dentistry is the nation's third dental school to acquire, install and use surgical robotic devices for dental implant surgeries, according to a March 8 news release.

Global Dental Relief, a humanitarian organization that delivers free dental care to children worldwide, is recruiting volunteers for a dental clinic in Jenkins, Ky., according to a March 8 post by the American Dental Association.

Littleton, Colo.-based Vivos Therapeutics, a medical technology company focused on developing treatments for sleep-disordered breathing, opened its first integrated medical-dental sleep center, according to a March 8 news release.

COVID-19 patients with periodontitis, a severe gum disease that can lead to tooth loss and other complications, are almost nine times more likely to die of complications from the virus, according to study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.

Daniel Burke, chief enterprise strategy officer at Irvine, Calif.-based Pacific Dental Services, has joined a 10-person committee charged with guiding a national framework for expanding medical and dental integration programs.

Despite a "high-risk" designation for COVID-19 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, only 3.1 percent of dental hygienists have had COVID-19, based on data collected in October and published by The Journal of Dental Hygiene.

"Fashion braces" are a cheap and unlicensed dental treatment trending in Atlanta, reports CBS affiliate WGCL-TV.

Some experts believe mouth guards may not prevent teeth grinding, and in some cases, may even make it worse, reports The New York Times.

Following a CDC publication on the benefits of double masking, the California Dental Association is urging dental practices to maintain personal protective equipment practices specific to dental settings.

More than half of Americans say the COVID-19 pandemic has caused them to put off routine dental check-ups, according to a survey commissioned by the American Association of Endodontists.

Forty percent of U.S. parents haven't tried to take their child to the dentist for preventive care since the pandemic began, with most citing concerns related to COVID-19, according to an Ipsos poll by Ann Arbor, Mich.-based C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.