The World Health Organization (WHO) has released three short animated videos designed for infection control training of oral healthcare personnel.
Oral healthcare providers work in close contact with their patients and are exposed to saliva, blood, and other bodily fluids, making it particularly important to put procedures in place and strictly adhere to them to protect both themselves and their patients from infection with COVID-19 during the current pandemic and beyond, the WHO said. The videos describe:
- WHO-recommended procedures for screening, triaging, and reception of people seeking oral healthcare
- Measures that should be in place to protect patients and personnel during treatment
- Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization procedures to be applied to surfaces, equipment, and instruments in oral healthcare facilities
Based on guidance published by WHO in 2020, the videos are primarily intended for use in training oral health teams in infection prevention and control. More generally, target audiences include public health authorities, in particular those responsible for oral health, and oral healthcare personnel undertaking or assisting in the procedures described, working in both the public and private sectors.
People considering making an appointment for oral health and dental care also may find the material useful as a reference for the practices that they should expect to see in dental healthcare facilities during the pandemic and beyond, the WHO said.
The videos are in English. Versions in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2021.
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