Pediatric Dentistry at the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of Literature and Guidelines

Abstract

Objectives The aim of the present study was to review practical considerations, special precautions, and novel challenges of pediatric dentistry at the time of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods PubMed (Medline), Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for related articles. The websites of organizations related to public health and dentistry were also electronically searched. All searches were performed before November 2020. Results In this paper, the findings were categorized as: (I) how to triage patients, (II) waiting room modifications, (III) how to use personal protective equipment, (IV) mouthwashes, (V) how to minimize aerosol production, (VI) how to manage routine dental treatments, (VII) pharmacological management, (VIII) how to manage pharmacological sedation and general anesthesia, and (IX) coincidence of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza. Some lifestyle changes during the pandemic which are important to know for pediatric dentists were also discussed. Conclusion The emergence of COVID-19 has brought novel challenges for dental professionals. Pediatric dentistry is even more important because children can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus since they usually present mild or no symptoms. In addition to the standard precautions, pediatric dentists should implement special precautions to prevent disease transmission