Biosecurity in Post-Covid-19 Dental Care: An Integrative Review

Abstract

After the emergence of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), biosafety measures in dentistry had to be intensified to provide more safety for professionals and patients, given that dental care requires close contact, thus exposing the professional to contaminated fluids such as saliva and blood, increasing the chances of cross-infection. The objective of this study is to conduct an integrative review on the established biosafety in dental care after the emergence of COVID-19. A bibliographic search was conducted until November 1, 2021, through the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library (VHL) and PubMed, using the terms "COVID-19," "Biosafety," and "Dentistry," with no filters or limits applied. After reading and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies were selected. A manual search was then conducted among the already selected studies, where two more studies were included, totaling 13 studies. Biosafety measures that should be carried out before, during, and after dental care following the emergence of COVID-19 were identified. Among the main measures are pre-screening, organization of the waiting room, increased frequency of hand hygiene, use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) previously not widely used, such as face shields, mouthwashes that reduce viral dissemination, and rubber dams to reduce contaminated aerosols, knowledge about the types of procedures that should be avoided or performed with restrictions, and cleaning and disinfection of environments. In conclusion, biosafety measures should be employed in all dental environments to strengthen the protection of professionals and patients, thus minimizing the risk of contagion.