Less than 1 per cent of dentists located across the globe contracted the novel coronavirus, as per the study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association .
The findings of the study also showed that this is far below other healthcare professions.
The study suggested that the abysmally low percentage of the spread was reported as dentists are using enhanced infection control procedures, including screening protocols and enhanced disinfection practices while treating their patients.
American Dental Association (ADA) Science and Research Institute Chief Executive Officer Marcelo Araujo, senior author of the report, said in a statement: “This is very good news for dentists and patients.”
He added: “This means that what dentists are doing — heightened infection control and increased attention to patient and dental team safety — is working.”
The findings, which surveyed around 2,200 dentists in June, revealed that 82 per cent of dentists were asymptomatic for one month prior to the survey and 16.6 per cent reported getting a Covid-19 test.
The study noted that those who tested positive were not clustered in any particular geographic region. Among those not tested, less than 1 per cent (0.32) was given a probable Covid-19 diagnosis by a physician.
Commenting on the study, Araujo said: “This study brings us another step forward in understanding what works. Dentists are following ADA and US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, and it’s helping to keep the dental team and their patients as safe as possible.”
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Infection risk
Earlier in March, The New York Times noted dentistry as one of the professions at the highest risk of Covid-19, citing ONET, a database maintained by the US Department of Labor.
The report had speculated that coronavirus transmission could occur because of the close proximity between dental professionals and patients. The fact that many dental procedures generate aerosols that may contain viral particles from infected individuals, also played a factor.
However, the new report countered the presumption and supported the effectiveness of the recommendations from the CDC and ADA in preventing virus transmission.
The ADA’s guidance urged dentists to wear the highest level of personal protective equipment (PPE) available — masks, goggles, and face shields.
The ADA’s interim guidance called for the use of rubber dams and high-velocity suction whenever possible and hand scaling when cleaning teeth rather than using ultrasonic scaling to minimise aerosols.