Is a teledentistry an opportunity in a COVID-19 pandemic? : A review

Abstract

Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern. Despite global efforts to contain the disease spread, the outbreak is still on a rise because of the community spread pattern of this infection. Dental professionals are at high risk for nosocomial infection and can become potential carriers of the disease. The global lockdown of educational institutions is going to cause major disruption to students’ learning and cancellation of their yearly assessments. Shifting to online learning is needed in this era and effective in implementing dental virtual simulation in preclinical and clinical courses during pandemics is needed. Teledentistry has the potential to change the dynamics of the dental care delivery system. Therefore, Teledentistry can save a life by freeing up an emergency room bed and dental industry can play a vital role in flattening the curve in COVID-19 pandemic situation.