Coronavirus Disease 2019: Prevention and Safety in the Dental Office

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a single stranded RNA virus originating from Wuhan China has gripped the whole world and evolved rapidly into a public health crisis. SARSCoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is abundantly present in nasopharyngeal and salivary secretions of affected patients and is transmitted by droplets, surface contact, fecal-oral route and by aerosolization during procedures. The dental professionals are particularly at risk because of close contact with the patient and exposure to blood, saliva and droplets. Dental professionals must be fully aware of coronavirus spreading modalities, identification of patients with this infection, so present article introduces the essential knowledge about COVID-19 infection and provide recommended management protocols for dental practitioners based on relevant guidelines, research so that dental professional are better prepared to manage asymptomatic, suspected, and confirmed COVID-19 patients