Article Type : Short commentary
Authors : Garg D, Shaji R, Mugundan RN, Janani SR, Shivashankari S and Shunmugavelu K
Keywords : Dental sciences
The purpose of this document is to address
specific needs and considerations for essential oral health services in the
context of on maintaining essential Orthodontic services.
Our current situation is critical. India has the second highest number of patients
with coronavirus disease 2019 in the world, behind only the United States. The
numbers are intimidating. On Oct 12, the Indian Ministry of Health counted
109,917 deaths [1]. If this trend is maintained, we will soon
overtake the USA. In addition, the contamination curve is still rising.
WHO advises that routine
non-essential oral health care – which also includes aesthetic dental
treatments be delayed until there has been sufficient reduction in COVID-19
transmission rates from community transmission to cluster cases or according to
official recommendations at national, sub-national or local level.
However, urgent or
Emergency Orthodontic interventions should be provided, which can arise from
the following scenarios: loose intraoral fixed appliances that are fully
retrievable by the patient or parent or Partially loose appliances that require
orthodontic intervention; fixed intraoral appliances impinging on the palate or
gingival tissue; broken, ill-fitting, or missing removable appliances,
aligners, or retainers; a missing or broken bracket; pokey wire; and broken or
loose ended fixed retainer [6].
In addition, there are scenarios where the Orthodontist may not be able to leave a patient unattended for 10-12 weeks. Examples include when a recurved nickel-titanium arch wire is placed upside down to close an open bite. One of the side effects, if it is left in for too long, is for the molars to dump mesially under the anteriorly adjacent tooth. If left unchecked, the resulting malposition of the molar can be significant-no, make that significant-resulting in several problems. When a torqueing auxiliary or a reverse curve nickel-titanium arch wire is placed, it causes the apices of the anterior teeth, either maxillary or mandibular, to move through the lingual or palatal cortical plates. When a canine being retracted with active mechanics is left unchecked, result in the apex completely perforating the buccal plate. When a power chain is left in for too long, we must deal with the rotational and axial negative sequelae on the terminal teeth [7].
Figure 1: Illustration of transmission routes of 2019-nCoV in dental clinics and hospitals.
There is a word for this
iatrogenicity. All the mechanics described above are defensible if they are
being supervised, because we then can make timely changes as clinical necessity
dictates. Public memos about these orthodontic emergencies, prepared by
Orthodontic Societies, would be beneficial in communicating a uniform message
to our patients.
Orthodontists would then
share this public memo on social media platforms and web sites, which can serve
to educate the public and allow orthodontists to defend their position during
this challenging time. Moreover, the uniformity of the message would also serve
to build the specialty's trust among the public.
Patients should be unaccompanied
unless they require assistance. There should be adequate ventilation in
Orthodontic clinical settings to reduce the risk of transmission in closed
settings. According to the type of ventilation available (mechanical or
natural), increase ventilation and airflow (door closed, adequate exhaust
ventilation, negative pressure, or mechanically ventilated equivalent air
exchange capacity in room where Possible - an average of 6-12 air exchanges per
hour) [8].
Avoiding split air
conditioning or other types of recirculation devices and consider installation
of filtration systems. The following approaches can be considered: installation
of exhaust fans; installation of whirlybirds (e.g. Whirligigs, wind turbines)
or installation of High-efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters [8].
Considering the
uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 situation, it is evident that there is a
need for clinical measures and guidelines for use in orthodontic practices
during pandemic situations. These Guidelines should provide (1) clear
legislation that explains which emergencies are ones that orthodontists can
attend to in their clinics and which are ones that they should defer, (2)
priority for COVID-19 testing and guidelines for PPE needed in Orthodontic
practices and (3) For Aerosols generating procedures, scientists from Fluid
Physics should come forward to guide that how water modulation can be achieved
in the clinical settings.