The beginning of the pandemic was accompanied by the emergence of additional risks for the patients. In the dental environment, they were related to the increased probability of getting infected and the lack of understanding of regular practices’ appropriateness to this situation (Checchi et al., 2021). As a result, many facilities stopped their work, but this decision was not optimal since patients still needed care (Coulthard, 2020). The difference is in the necessity to develop new regulations ensuring safety and forecasting the consequences. Hence, for dentistry, the spread of coronavirus indicates the impact of the threat on procedures and preventive measures while emphasizing dental hygienists’ increased role in sanitation.
The change in the work of specialists in the field is primarily connected to discovering efficient ways of readjusting the operations. It seems impossible to avoid the threat for dentists and dental hygienists who are continuously exposed to pathogenic microorganisms and viruses from the oral cavity and airways (Checchi et al., 2021). This fact adds to this group’s vulnerability and explains the significance of their protection in the first place. Considering the above, the main aspect of the influence of COVID-19 on dentistry as a field is the enhanced understanding of people working in the field about the safety considerations under the specified circumstances. It is complemented by their efforts to develop new ways to fill this gap based on research.
From this perspective, the procedures should be as safe as possible for both professionals and their patients while remaining efficient. The performance of these tasks is complicated because it is still unclear which methods are better for addressing this aspect of the matter and which instruments do not help (Checchi et al., 2021). However, this alarming situation, which directly affects the field, is being examined by scholars who suggest several measures to eliminate the risks. They include airway and eye protection using rectangular and shell-shaped surgical masks and eyewear with enveloping frames covering the face as much as possible, respectively (Checchi et al., 2021). In this way, it can be concluded that the spread of COVID-19 influenced the work modes and requirements for dentists alongside their willingness to adopt new approaches.
As for new dental hygienists, their situation seems critical from the perspective of the increasing number of duties added to the long-standing practices. The corresponding risks imply the reconsiderations of essential tasks following the patterns of the infection spread. The challenges are related to the emergence of additional environment sanitation needs intended to reduce bacterial and viral loads in dental clinics (Checchi et al., 2021). In this way, the adaptation of specialists to the profession will be complicated by these circumstances. Moreover, the introduction of personal protective tools identified above and ensuring their use by all employees within facilities also relate to dental hygienists’ work (Coulthard, 2020). It means that the growing responsibility of these specialists will be affected both by their activity and the necessity to trace the correspondence of other’s actions to these regulations.
In conclusion, the impact of COVID-19 on dentistry can be demonstrated through the shifts in professionals’ perceptios regarding the needs for their safety as well as the protection of their patients. At present, the field is significantly dependant on the success of their efforts, and the reputation of particular clinics can be severely damaged in the case of failure to efficiently implement the described measures. In turn, dental hygienists play an important role because their decisions in informing the personnel regarding the required changes and their actions’ correspondence to these solutions are essential for dentistry’s recovery from the crisis.
References
Checchi, V., Bellini, P., Bencivenni, D., & Consolo, U. (2021). COVID-19 dentistry-related aspects: a literature overview. International Dental Journal, 71(1), 21-26.
Coulthard, P. (2020). Dentistry and coronavirus (COVID-19)-moral decision-making. British Dental Journal, 228(7), 503-505.