Under half of the international dental guidelines assessing AGPs recommend a fallow period for non-COVID patients.
This is according to a new report assessing how aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are defined internationally and what mitigation processes were advised.
Looking at national dental recommendations from 58 countries, it revealed only 48% recommended a fallow period following an AGP treatment. The suggested times range between two to 180 minutes.
Additionally, just eight countries provided possible mitigation factors to allow for a reduction in the fallow time.
The report also found that most countries releasing recommendations for COVID-19 patients advised the same measures for non-COVID patients.
Report results
Other findings include:
- 98% approved AGPs for non-COVID patients
- 94% of countries recommend the use of a face mask and a face shield, or googles, for non-COVID patients
- 21 countries (33%) recommend the use of surgical masks for non-COVID patients. In comparison, 44 countries (70%) recommend using FFP2/N95 and 12 countries (19%) recommend the use of FFP3 masks
- 82% of documents recommend the use of a pre-procedural mouthwash for non-COVID patients
- There is a lack of provided evidence to support the majority of recommendations in the guidelines.
Additionally, only 19 documents make specific reference to the need for fit testing of FFP2/FFP3 masks.
Forty two countries (67%) recommend wearing surgical gowns. And 32 countries (51%) advise wearing surgical caps or hats, while 21 countries (33%) recommend using disposable aprons.
Worsened oral health
Almost nine in 10 clinicians think the population’s dental health could decline due to a lack of routine appointments.
And 77% worry the current climate led to missed oral cancers and, as a result, missed referrals.
Additionally, 41% believe it will take between one year and 18 months for the UK’s dental health to recover.
You can read the full report on international AGP guidelines here.
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