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 The result is far below that of other health
professionals in the U.S. In addition, 99 percent of dentists are
using enhanced infection control procedures such as screening
protocols and enhanced disinfection practices when treating
patients. The report, published online ahead of print by The Journal
of the American Dental Association, is the first large-scale
collection and publication of U.S. dentists’ infection rates and
infection control practices related to COVID-19.
“This is very good news for dentists and patients,” said American
Dental Association (ADA) Science and Research Institute Chief
Executive Officer Marcelo Araujo, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., the senior
author of the report. “This means that what dentists are doing –
heightened infection control and increased attention to patient and
dental team safety – is working.”
Dr. Araujo added that the authors of the report, researchers from
the ADA Science and Research Institute and Health Policy Institute
based in Chicago, are continuing to collect and will report
infection rate data on dentists and have added hygienists to their
ongoing survey, in collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists
Association.
This report focused on nearly 2,200 dentists in June, finding that
82 percent of dentists were asymptomatic for one month prior to the
survey and 16.6 percent reported getting a COVID-19 test. Those who
tested positive were not clustered in any particular geographic
region. Among those not tested, less than one percent (0.32) were
given a probable COVID-19 diagnosis by a physician. The authors
weighted the results to align with U.S. dentists demographically and
geographically and found an estimated prevalence of less than one
percent (0.9) with a margin of error of 0.5 percent.
“Understanding the risks associated with COVID-19 transmission in
the dental setting is critical to improving patient and dental team
safety,” said Dr. Araujo. “This study brings us another step forward
in understanding what works. Dentists are following ADA and U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, and it’s
helping to keep the dental team and their patients as safe as
possible.”
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In March, The New York Times listed dentistry as one
of the professions at highest risk of COVID-19 based on data from
O*NET, a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor. It was
presumed that virus transmission could occur because of the close
proximity between dental professionals and patients and because many
dental procedures generate aerosols that may contain viral particles
from infected individuals.
This newly-published report, with the extremely low
rate of COVID-19 infection among dentists, supports the
effectiveness of the recommendations from the CDC and ADA in
preventing virus transmission.
The ADA’s guidance calls for the highest level of personal
protective equipment (PPE) available—masks, goggles and face
shields. The ADA’s interim guidance also calls for the use of rubber
dams and high velocity suction whenever possible and hand scaling
when cleaning teeth rather than using ultrasonic scaling to minimize
aerosols.
"In light of the revelations from this groundbreaking ADA study,
there is no better time than now to encourage patients to schedule a
visit," adds Illinois State Dental Society President Dr. Alice
Boghosian. "Resuming regular dental visits is important because
treatment, as well as prevention of cavities and other issues, helps
keep people healthy."
“The fact that dentistry was named one of the most at-risk
professions for infection, but has a far lower prevalence of
infection compared to other health professions, is not a
coincidence,” said Chief Economist and Vice President of the ADA
Health Policy Institute Marko Vujicic, Ph.D. “The profession has
taken this issue extremely seriously, and it shows. We will continue
to track the rate of COVID-19 among dentists and other facets of the
pandemic affecting dentistry so it can help inform the dental
profession and other industries as well.”
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