COVID-19 in dentistry - Ethical considerations
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Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Dental Journal
Abstract
The reach of Coronavirus Disease - 2019 (COVID-19) has
even reached the ethical guidelines for good practice
from the Health Professions Council of South Africa
(HPCSA).1 The health care worker should carefully consider the
guidance outlined in several of the booklets as patient
treatment has multiple dimensions where COVID-19 had
impacted on clinical practice. Due to the nature of
dentistry and aerosol generation, special care must be
taken when treating healthy patients and patients that
are carriers but do not realise that they are COVID-19
positive.
COVID-19 transmission and aerosol dissemination may
expose the practice team to hazards of infection. The
risk is elevated when implementing aerosol generating
procedures without any protective equipment. The oral
health care worker (OHCW) and staff thus require the
appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as suggested
by country-specific guidelines, for example, The
South African Dental Association (SADA).2
To this extent, practicing dentistry in the 21st century is
complex3 and amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic
the OHCW is presented with more pitfalls. As the pandemic
is showing no sign of abating in SA, this has
presented the OHCW with a range of additional ethical
considerations.
These dilemmas may be resolved in a variety of ways
following an understanding of the basic knowledge of
core ethical values and standards for good practice
outlined by the HPCSA guidelines
Description
Keywords
COVID-19 positive, COVID-19 dentistry,, Coronavirus Disease,, Health Professions Council of South Africa,, COVID-19,, Ethical considerations,
Citation
Maart, R, Mulder, R, & Khan, S. (2020). COVID-19 in dentistry- Ethical considerations. South African Dental Journal , 75(7), 396-399. https://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2519-0105/2020/v75no7a10