• Kashif Naqvi, Syed Muhammad Mubeen, and Syed Muzumil Ali Shah.
• Department of Oral Surgery, , Hamdard College of Medicine & Dentistry, Hamdard University, Karachi.
• J Pak Med Assoc. 2020 May 1; 70(Suppl 3) (5): S113-S117.

AbstractCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has rendered the world completely unaware and off-balance. Most of the countries of the world are in a lockdown of varying severity to break the chain of transmission. Many non-essential healthcare practices have been shut down to impose social distancing against a population whose slogan has been freedom of movement. Several healthcare providers have also been caught off guard. Many are not well-versed in the use of transmission-based safeguards, and the dental community, is no different. In this article, we identify the challenges faced by the oral and dental care providers, whose procedures generate a significant amount of aerosol, which can be a significant source of disease transmission within the community. It further describes the dynamics of aerosol spread and various strategies to minimise aerosol generation. Guidelines for the delivery of emergency dental treatment are formulated based on different guidelines from various international dental associations and organisations.

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