Can Digital Work and Lasers Lessen the Impact of COVID19 to Dentistry and Oral Surgical Procedures? A Literature Review

Abstract

Oral surgical and dental procedures require close physical operator-patient position and deal with two important infectious routes of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID19), saliva, and blood. This review focuses on viral characteristics, cell recognition, and clinical presentation of COVID19 infection, briefly in comparison to other related coronaviruses. Followed by the most important diagnostic and transmission means with preventive measures to be considered throughout and after the pandemic infection period, to protect general practitioner dentists, oral surgeons, and other health care professionals against this rapidly spreading infection, utilizing recent digital technologies and lasers.