Consequências da pandemia do Covid-19 na prática da ortodontia

Abstract

In December 2019, a group of pneumonias named by the World Health Organization as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) emerged in the city of Wuhan, China. The virus spread quickly across several countries. For this reason, on March 11, 2020, the WHO officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. A factor of concern in the area of orthodontics is the generation of aerosols and their potential for contamination in the clinical environment. Aerosols are produced during a range of procedures, posing potential infection risks. In this sense, it was of great importance for orthodontists to redesign their clinical practices, since the risk of contamination for both professionals and patients was imminent. Therefore, several measures needed to be taken or reinforced during the pandemic outbreak, such measures consisted of the correct use of EPIS, such as masks, glasses, face shields, gloves, etc. Furthermore, there was a need for clinical relocation, such as isolated rooms for aerosolgenerating procedures, distancing and reducing the number of patients in the waiting room. Sanitization was also a great ally in combating the transmission of COVID-19, therefore, good sanitation of the office and equipment was necessary, in addition to efficient and correct hand hygiene. As orthodontic treatment is something periodic and long-lasting and during the peak of the pandemic, many practices reduced or stopped the number of consultations, the orthodontist's main ally was the media, as they were able to maintain contact with patients, helping them in various incidents and mainly in pre-screening before face-to-face consultations. Furthermore, there were several consequences of the pandemic on orthodontics, including lack of consultations, complications and treatment failures, financial and social problems. Finally, it is extremely important that orthodontists, as well as the entire dental community, are aware of the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of protection and prevention against the transmission of infectious diseases.