Abstract

The rapid spread of the COVID-19virus and related pneumonia has posed a major challenge for
healthcare systems worldwide. The infection was discovered in the city of Wuhan, Central of
China and swept across the world.Theincubation period of the viruscan range from 1–14 days,
and the virus spread can happen in the absence of clinical symptoms as well.The most frequently
reported symptoms are fever, cough, dyspnea, and myalgia or fatigue. Modes for transmission of
virus include direct transmission through coughing,sneezing, and inhalation of droplets and
contact transmission through contact with nasal, oral, and ocular mucosa. Droplet and aerosol
transmission of the virus are the most common causes of COVID-19 infection in dental clinics
and hospitals.COVID-19 virus has lately been detected in saliva of infected patients, thus posing
an alert to health professionals to be customarily vigilant in protecting against the infectious
disease spread. Because of the presence of virus in saliva, it may be helpful as a non-invasive
tool in the rapid detection of the virus.During this pandemic dissemination of COVID-19, dental
treatment must be confined to the procedures that cannot be deferred. All the precautions must be
taken in terms of triaging, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, pre-procedural
mouthrinse, use of rubber dam, disinfection of the surfaces. Dental professionals are at the
highest risk of COVID-19 infection; hence, dental practicehas to be reorganized in order to
ensure higher safety standards for both dentists and patients.