THE PHILIPPINE Dental Association (PDA) “strongly” advises dental clinics “to exclude procedures which will generate aerosols of any kind at this time.”
To our dear readers, the World Health Organization considers airborne transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) possible from droplet transmission. The COVID-19 virus within the droplet nuclei can remain in the air for long periods of time and be transmitted to others over distances greater than one meter.
Airborne transmission may be possible in specific circumstances and in settings in which procedures or support treatments generate aerosols. In the dental setting, this includes, for example, the use of water sprays in simple procedures such as the routine cleaning of teeth.
The PDA also advises patients to call their dentists first before coming over for a consultation.
To dentists, the PDA has reiterated its previous recommendation to do phone triage or phone screening of patients.
Phone screening questions include:
1. What is the need for the dental consult? Is it pain, trauma, severe infection or facial swelling?
2. If so, request to send photos, digitally through apps such as Viber, Whatsapp, Line or FB messenger, and other digital options to distinguish a real emergency.
Risk Assessment questions include:
Saan nakatira – when “hot areas” are already identified.
Saan at ano ang trabaho – to screen areas of travel within the city, or in any locality and work-related risk category
(The PDA reminds dentists to keep abreast with the updated Department of Health advisories on affected areas in the Philippines and to adhere to the laws and regulations implemented by both the national and local governments.)
Online prescriptions of anti-microbials may be given.
For the information of the public, the prescription must include the name of the dentist and his or her Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and Professional Tax Receipt (PTR) numbers legibly included in the e-prescription.
For severe infection, patients will be referred to an Emergency Room setting for appropriate care.
If patient has positive exposure but is not infected or not exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 infection, they may be treated with the dental team following very strict infection control precautions for infected cases. “AGAIN, for URGENT cases only,” the PDA emphasizes.
It observes that some patients either intentionally conceal travel history or possible exposure, or ignorantly do not know that they have been exposed and carry the virus. Dental clinics should “assume all patients are infected,” the PDA says.
To this we add that the government’s Interagency Task Force on the corona virus has reminded the public that withholding vital information to health care workers, including dentists, is illegal./PN
