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Be prepared for COVID-19, but don’t panic, says Indian Dental Association

Dental clinics in India are still providing emergency dental care and dentists have been advised to make well-informed decisions about their patients and dental practices. (Image:Casezy idea/Shutterstock)
Jeremy Booth, DTI

Jeremy Booth, DTI

Wed. 25. March 2020

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MUMBAI, India: Dental colleges in India are currently closed, and dental clinics across the country have been advised to suspend all non-essential treatment. Both of these measures are in effect until at least 31 March. The latest advice from the Indian Dental Association (IDA) to dental practitioners is to exercise caution and make well-informed decisions about patient care and in the operation of their dental practices.

In a 17 March bulletin from the IDA captioned “Be prepared but don’t panic”, the association strongly recommended that the country’s dental fraternity voluntarily suspend all dental care services that are non-essential or non-urgent. The association said that it had issued the guidance out of concern for the health and well-being of both the public and dental practitioners.

IDA President Dr Ravindar Singh advised dentists and their teams “to be cautious during this serious outbreak and concentrate on emergency dental care”, and the association’s honorary secretary general, Dr Ashok Dhoble, added that dentists and their teams must remain alert and identify patients suffering from acute respiratory illness. “[As] healthcare professionals, dentists are advised to make well-informed decisions about their patients and practices,” Dhoble added.

The IDA is monitoring the developing public health situation and said that it would continue to provide updates on its website as they become available.

On 17 March, the Dental Council of India advised dental colleges to halt all college activities, including classes, seminars, workshops and camps, until 31 March. The council also issued clinical practice guidelines for dental teams on 17 March, and these included the following recommendations:

1. Every patient should be scrubbed with isopropyl alcohol extra-orally.

2. A preprocedural rinse with povidone-iodine should be used by every patient.

3. N95 masks or at least three-ply masks should be worn, as well as protective eyewear, a head cap and a face shield.

4. Dental clinics should be fumigated periodically.

The IDA also has preventive guidelines for dental teams, and these can be accessed here.

By 24 March, there had been 519 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India and nine deaths had been attributed to the respiratory illness, according to the World Health Organization.

Editorial note: India and its 1.3 billion inhabitants were put into a three-week lockdown as this article went to press. The lockdown was ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and came into effect on 25 March. The repercussions of the order for dental practices in the country are not yet known. Dr Rajeev Chitguppi, executive editor of Dental Tribune South Asia Edition, contributed to this report.

11 thoughts on “Be prepared for COVID-19, but don’t panic, says Indian Dental Association

  1. Lola says:

    My daughter has to go to her dentist. The dentist charged me Rs. 1200 for a Covid 19 Protocol Protection because she has to give her a mask, gloves , sanitize her shoes and a ziplock. She pretends to charge me the same amount in every appointment. This is absurd ! Please let me know if it is normal. Thanks

  2. Ahmad momani says:

    Due to Covid 19 whole world is in crisis nowadays and it is not only harmful for heath even due to lockdown and crfew economy also suffer. Your blog is pathfinder in this crisis to suffer.

  3. Kameswari says:

    My son got his braces since a year and its the final phase. Unfortunately thus covid problem started. He had his last visit in the minth of march. Now after two months he went again to get them removed. The doctor also suggested the same. But very unfortunate that they asked him to visit again. Telling that this week they will not do such procedures. And they just did some routine and sent us back. They asked us to come next Thursday again to get thwm removed. We are very worried because in this time no body goes to a dentist but we have to go twice ?. God help my child.

  4. Sahil says:

    I am really not happy as things are going on.I am in deep pain due to cavity in my teeth.

  5. chirag khurana says:

    Dentist have to attend the patients is your duty corona you take precaution but the patient dont have corona check then do the treatment keep rapid test with you.
    Doctor have to be socliastic.
    You take a oath in any condition you will attend the patient.

    Dated 18/3/2020 started my root canal treatment and only one sitting done and after ward outbreaks suffering severe pain. and doctor closed the practice due to this and no one is here to check

  6. Alexa says:

    Dental treatments should come under essential. If a patient is suffering, he can’t possibly eat. As a precautionary measure, dentists can ask the patients to get themselves tested and only admit patients who are tested negative. But shutting down clinics is only avoiding problems. It’s a temporary thing. Ultimately guidelines should be in place and treatments resumed..not providing patients the treatment they need is against the oath that the doctors take

  7. David Billimoria says:

    I guess this non-essential (not according to patients but according to Govt. ) like every otherthing, it will become essential as days goes by. More people are in pain then you know. oh BTW liquor is essential, but who am I to judge I am just a tax payer.

  8. Milind Kadam says:

    Dentist have to attend the patients is your duty corona you take precaution but the patient dont have corona check then do the treatment keep rapid test with you.
    Doctor have to be socliastic.
    You take a oath in any condition you will attend the patient.

  9. Deepti Patel says:

    Hi, my name is Deepti Patel. Two of my upper right side teeths 4th & 5th was diagnosed with cavity. Subsequently the these two teeths were cleaned on 14th of March 2020. And further a temporary filling was done.
    But now the temporary filling has come off and food is getting stuck there. Moreover been having a sensitive teeths while brushing there I am getting a sharp pain which is going right into the nerves of my head.
    My dentist told they can’t do anything. They are not considering it as a dental emergency. And I m feeling helpless.
    Can you recommend any hospital in Borivali East where dental case can be checked.

  10. Dr. Nandan says:

    Yes…this is the need of hour….this is the only way…..social distancing. You can definitely go to your previous dental clinic or approach govt. Hospital emergency and get the sutures removed….and you only told it’s a pretty easy job….. You can try. Dental clinics are most easily contaminable place for corona….want to avoid corona…avoid dental clinics now…stay at home….and be a responsible citizen. Doctors are doing the rest. Thank you.

  11. Vinayakk says:

    Dear Sir,
    unfortunately the dentist are not working at all only since 22 nd March of India Janta Curfew day.
    Not only elective surgeries but they are not available for diagnosis or for subsequent treatments of already treated patients too.

    They are totally shut and as of now they are not in need of your advice on preventive care or patient care i assume.

    My wife who is suffering deadly dental pain since 23 rd of March for a tooth which was cement filled and caping done in Nov2019 is on telefonic advice taking antibiotics and antacid and painkillers doses since then and still feels pain multiple times in day and sensitivity too.
    Myself have got extracted a tooth before wisdom tooth on 18/3/2020 unfortunately have got regular non resorbable sutures 3 nos which i was supposed to get removed in a 10 days time.
    But since last 3-4 days have contacted multiple dentist but none is available for the sutures removal too, which i dont think is an elective kind of surgey.

    On recommendation from 1 of dentist i reached to Karuna Hospital in Borivli Mumbai, but the dentist here too was not available, also a staff of dentistry said they wont work on outside treated patient.

    Then after i went to my family doctor who also adviced to go to the dentist who operated me for sutures removal.

    I belive its a pretty simple job, but lack of proper instruments like sterile scissors and twizzer is only a hitch, though even my family doctor did not initiate too.

    Somebody guided me to hang on for since it wont be a problem for 1 month if there is no pain, hence i decided to wait else to operate cut the sutures myself at home.

    Unfortunately i am helpless for my wife’s dental pain also worried about if the infection spreads more !!

    I really wonder is this the only way dentists can protect themselves from Corona !!

    Thanks…

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