The impact of Covid-19 on the pediatric dentistry clinic: An integrative review

Abstract

At the end of 2019, new cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology were identified in China, the cause was attributed to a new type of coronavirus, this infection quickly spread to other countries and gained pandemic status by World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Therefore, containment measures were taken, including social isolation and pause in dental care, since the aerosols generated during this care are classified as high risk for contamination by COVID-19. In this context, children do not seem to be very affected by this infection, since the number of cases is low, but they are considered asymptomatic carriers, contributing to the transmission of the virus to other people. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the literature in an integrative way, seeking to elucidate the impacts of these factors on the clinical practice of pediatric dentistry. The search resulted in 290 articles, of which 33 were selected for full reading, and 29 articles were included in the integrative review. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly changed the practice in dentistry, new biosafety protocols were established, aiming to minimize viral spread, in pediatric dentistry, dental care was reduced to cases of urgency and emergency, as children are asymptomatic carriers of viruses and when they manifest symptoms, they are less severe when compared to adults. Another recommendation is that whenever dental intervention in pediatric dentistry is necessary, non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques that reduce aerosols should be prioritized.

Keywords

• child
• containment of biohazards
• coronavirus
• pediatric dentist