Infection prevention and aseptic practice in dentistry during the Covid-19 pandemic : A systematic review

Abstract: Aim: To assess and compile current knowledge and recommendations forinfection prevention and control (IPC) in dentistry during the COVID-19pandemic. Furthermore, to assess whether previous knowledge about IPC hascontributed to constructing evidence-based measures for IPC that can beuniversally applicable. Also, identifying knowledge gaps that need to beaddressed regarding IPC to be used effectively in future pandemics.Method: Searches were made in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane,and Embase, according to PRISMA guidelines. There were no time or publicationtype restrictions. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were read in full text andresulted in 44 included articles. Quality assessment and risk of bias (RoB) wereperformed using checklists by AMSTAR-2 and ROBIS.Results: The four main recommended measures for IPC in dentistry were: triage,personal protective equipment, antimicrobial mouthwash before the procedure,and surface disinfection. Most of the included studies were literature reviews withlow quality and a high RoB.Conclusion: Measures taken during this pandemic were based on evidence,previous knowledge, and subjective opinions. However, there were limitations inthe included studies as their evidence was of lower quality and had a high RoB.Future research is needed to minimize the risk of infection spreading in dentistryduring the pandemic. The lack of research on SARS-COV-2 was considered aknowledge gap that should be addressed to be used effectively in futurepandemics. This present study shows that IPC policies were to some extent basedon evidence but not regarding the current virus.