Editor's Note

Abstract

The WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. As infections, hospitalizations and deaths mounted, many aspects of life across the globe changed dramatically. Like many other activities, dental practice was severely affected, with an initial period of complete lockdown or very limited patient care provided for urgent situations. Subsequently, several national and international guidelines and scientific reports were published to help guide the profession regarding provision of dental care. Even today, recommendations about infection control continue to evolve, aiming to provide for delivery of safe and reliable dental care while mitigating the risk of infection. This issue of the International Dental Journal contains a special section on the comprehensive management of patients during the earliest days of the pandemic. The three articles reflect the very rigorous approach to infection control needed in the earliest stage of the pandemic. Some of the recommendations included in the articles are not required today, but in some countries many of these procedures are still needed. These papers are being publishing as a general guide for maximum infection control and serve as a manual that may be needed in the future, as the threat of future pandemics remains. Improved understanding about the behaviour of SARS-CoV2, along with the emergence of multiple variants, has led to an even greater appreciation for the importance of infection control in the dental office. Awareness of what could be utilized in specific situations is important, even with development and distribution of effective vaccines. Oral health care providers are among the most knowledgeable health professionals regarding appropriate infection control measures. These three papers add to the resources available to the dental profession. DOI of refered articles: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2020.12.028, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2021.01.007, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2021.01.015