WHO recommends only essential dental visits
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The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling internationally to postpone non-essential oral care until the spread of Covid-19 has sufficiently decreased. The same applies to 'aesthetic interventions' (plastic surgery). That is one of the guidelines that the organization is coming up with to prevent the transmission of the corona virus.
The call comes after (non-essential) oral care is resumed in many countries. But there are some dangers, especially dentists run the risk of being infected by one of the patients. “Dentists work very close to patients' faces,” the WHO said. “The procedures involve face-to-face communication and frequent exposure to saliva, blood and other bodily fluids. As a result, they have a greater chance of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2.”
On the other hand, dentists can in turn infect patients. That is why it is better to postpone dental visits for a while. However, the WHO emphasizes that the advice only applies to non-essential dental visits.
Not applicable to the Netherlands
According to the professional organization of dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons in the Netherlands (KNMT), the international advice does not apply to the Netherlands. According to the organization, the WHO is calling on countries that do not yet work according to a Corona guideline, as the Netherlands was the first country to do so. Dutch dentists are at the forefront of safe treatment.'
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Applicable in Thailand
Thailand was there with an advice on this earlier than the WHO. As early as May this year, the Ministry of Health issued an advisory for dental clinics to postpone elective, non-emergency dental treatments. Patients who require urgent care due to acute tooth and gum pain that cannot be resolved with medication can be treated with special precautions.
Dentists will continue to provide their services in urgent cases, such as tooth or gum inflammation and pain that cannot be resolved with pain medications or antibiotics, repairs to broken or dislocated dental hardware, crowns or implants that can cause oral lacerations and mouth bleeding.
Source: Algemeen Dagblad/Bangkok Post