Abstract
With the use of newly issued guidelines, King's College Hospital has developed new standard operating procedures specifically for the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the unprecedented nature of the current global pandemic, this paper highlights how paediatric dental emergencies can be managed safely and efficiently, as well as new measures which can help reduce transmission of the virus. Furthermore, an audit of the current paediatric dental emergencies attending the hospital is presented. Seventy-six percent of patients attending met the agreed local criteria for urgent treatment, with the most common presentation being irreversible pulpitis. This highlights the types of cases that practitioners enrolled in urgent dental care centres (UDCs) can expect to encounter and how to effectively manage this challenging group of patients.
Similar content being viewed by others
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
References
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. COVID-19 situation update worldwide, as of 22 April 2020. 2020. Available at https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases (accessed April 2020).
Baud D, Qi X, Nielsen-Saines K et al. Real estimates of mortality following COVID-19 infection. Lancet Infect Dis 2020; DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30195-X.
Liu Y, Gayle A A, Wilder-Smith A et al. The reproductive number of COVID-19 is higher compared to SARS coronavirus. J Travel Med 2020; DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taaa021.
Public Health England. Guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK. 2020. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid19guidanceonsocialdistancingandforvulnerable-people/guidanceonsocialdistancingforeveryoneintheukandprotectingolderpeopleandvulnerable-adults (accessed April 2020).
Peng X, Xu X, Li Y et al. Transmission routes of 2019-nCoV and controls in dental practice. Int J Oral Sci 2020; 12: 1-6.
Harrel S K, Molinari J. Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: a brief review of the literature and infection control implications. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135: 429-437.
Hurley S, Neligan M. Issue 3: preparedness letter for primary dental care. 2020. Available at https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/ sites/52/2020/03/issue3preparednessletterfor primarydentalcare25march2020.pdf (accessed April 2020).
Edgington T. Coronavirus: Dentists facing 'critical shortage of kit'. 2020. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52314436 (accessed April 2020).
NHS England. COVID-19 guidance and standard operating procedure: Urgent dental care systems in the context of coronavirus. 2020. Available at https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/04/C0282-covid-19-urgent-dental-care-sop.pdf (accessed May 2020).
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. COVID19 - Guidance for Paediatric Services. 2020. Available at https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-guidance-paediatric-services (accessed May 2020).
Ludvigsson J F. Systematic review of COVID-19 in children show milder cases and a better prognosis than adults. Acta Paediatr 2020; 109: 1088-1095.
Roberts M. Coronavirus alert: Rare syndrome seen in UK children. 2020. Available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52439005 (accessed April 2020).
Mohanty S, Panigrahi A. Dental Radiography in Paediatric Dentistry: A Review. Ind J Public Health Res Develop 2019; 10: 849-851.
Mathur N, Tyagi S, Dwivedi V, Narang A, Tyagi P, Nath K S. Dental considerations amidst COVID-19 scare. Int J Med Biomed Stud 2020; DOI: 10.32553/ijmbs.v4i3.1058.
Kirk-Bayley J, Challacombe S, Sunkaraneni S et al. The Use of Povidone Iodine Nasal Spray and Mouthwash During the Current COVID-19 Pandemic May Protect Healthcare Workers and Reduce Cross Infection. 2020. Available online at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3563092 (accessed May 2020).
Prasad T D, Chaitanya S K. Evaluation of minimum required safe distance between two consecutive dental chairs for optimal asepsis. J Orofac Res 2013; 3: 12-15.
Samaranayake L P, Reid J, Evans D. The efficacy of rubber dam isolation in reducing atmospheric bacterial contamination. ASDC J Dent Child 1989; 56: 442-444.
Public Health England. Reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the hospital setting. 2020. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/reducing-the-risk-of-transmission-of-covid-19-in-the-hospital-setting (accessed April 2020).
Casamassimo P S, Townsend J A, Litch C S. Paediatric Dentistry During and After COVID-19. Paediatr Dent 2020; 42: 87-90.
SAAD. COVID-19 and inhalation sedation. 2020. Available at https://www.saad.org.uk/ (accessed April 2020).
Royal College of Surgeons of England. Recommendations for Paediatric Dentistry during COVID-19 pandemic. 2020. Available at https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/files/rcs/fds/guidelines/paediatric-dentistry-covid19.pdf (accessed May 2020).
RA Medical Services. COVID-19 Infection Control Guide. 2020. Available online at https://ramedical.com/guidance-on-infection-control-procedures-with-covid-19/ (accessed April 2020).
Andreasen J, Borum M K, Jacobsen H et al. Replantation of 400 avulsed permanent incisors. 4. Factors related to periodontal ligament healing. Dent Traumatol 1995; 11: 76-89.
Flores M T, Andersson L, Andreasen J O et al. Guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries. II. Avulsion of permanent teeth. Dent Traumatol 2007; 23: 130-136.
Gregory A. One in five dental practices going down the tube. The Time (London) 2020 April 12.
Molinari J A. Infection control: its evolution to the current standard precautions. J Am Dent Assoc 2003; 134: 569-574.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
All authors declare they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ilyas, N., Agel, M., Mitchell, J. et al. COVID-19 pandemic: the first wave - an audit and guidance for paediatric dentistry. Br Dent J 228, 927–931 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1702-8
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1702-8
This article is cited by
-
Crown fractures in the permanent dentition among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic
Scientific Reports (2025)
-
Reducing general anaesthetic episodes: ‘piggyback' procedures - Birmingham Children's Hospital experience
British Dental Journal (2024)
-
Paediatric dental A&E service during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greater London area
European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry (2021)
-
Pandemic paediatrics
British Dental Journal (2020)


