Dental staff were not at an increased risk of Covid-19 during the pandemic, according to new Harvard research.
During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, dental practices were perceived as environments at ‘higher risk’ of coronavirus transmission.
But according to the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), clinical dental activities did not increase the risk of the virus in settings with staff wearing PPE and carrying out Covid-19 testing.
The results found that the mean test positivity rate was 0.25% among individuals involved in patient-facing clinical activities.
This compared with 0.36 percent among nonclinical individuals – highlighting that faculty, students, and staff working in non-clinical roles contracted Covid infections more often than those in clinical roles.
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‘Our study found that the overall asymptomatic test positivity rate remained low at 0.27 percent,’ said study author Sung Choi, HSDM instructor in oral health policy and epidemiology.
‘Being involved in clinical activities did not increase the risk of Covid-19. While individuals involved in clinical activities performed a higher number of tests per week on average, test positivity rate remained lower than non-clinical individuals.
‘[This ensured] safety of both patients and practitioners at clinical settings.’
The findings suggest that testing based on risk status of individuals can be an effective measure for institutions to take. This can reduce the risk of infection within dental settings.
Researchers also say it may show how clinical care can be performed safely in academic settings when faced with future virus outbreaks.
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