Care of Patients in Orthodontic Treatment During the Covid-19 Pandemic (SARS-CoV-2). Algorithm Presentation

Carolina Paz Matus Abásolo; María Eugenia Nemeth Kohanszky & Montserrat Andrea Inostroza Tapia

Summary

The coronaviruses are an extensive family of viruses that can cause infections both in humans as in animals. The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) can cause the disease COVID-19, that was originated in Wuhan, China and it characterizes because of its high rate of contagion among people, which led to the declaration of emergency in public health of international concern in January 2020. The patients who are under orthodontic treatment can present different situations that require attention from this specific area, therefore producing a situation of close contact between patient and dentist with high risk of eminent contagion of SARS-CoV-2. Under this situation, it is necessary that the practice of orthodontics implements prevention protocols, that lead to a correct anamnesis of the patient remotely in order to establish the level of urgency in orthodontics. In case that it cannot be deferred it should be done under strict personal protection measures. The aim of this article is to disclose an algorithm that gives update recommendations for the attention of patients under orthodontic treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to reduce the possibility of contagion and spread of the disease.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19, Orthodontic treatment, Orthodontics, SARS-CoV-2.

How to cite this article

MATUS, A. C. P.; NEMETH, K. M. E. & INOSTROZA, T. M. A. Care of patients in orthodontic treatment during the Covid19 pandemic (SARS-CoV-2). Algorithm presentation. Int. J. Odontostomat., 14(4):489-494, 2020.