The guidance urges patients to delay preventative and cosmetic oral procedures “until there has been sufficient reduction in COVID-19 transmission rates from community transmission to cluster cases or according to official recommendations at national, sub-national or local level.”
WHO explained how easily viruses can be spread via aerosols produced by dental instruments, causing dental settings to put patients and staff at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19.
“Oral health care teams work in close proximity to patients’ faces for prolonged periods,” the global health body wrote. “Their procedures involve face-to-face communication and frequent exposure to saliva, blood, and other body fluids and handling sharp instruments. Consequently, they are at high risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 or passing the infection to patients.”
WHO noted that patients should still seek out oral care in emergency cases that bring about severe pain or threaten their health.
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