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Delaying Intraoral Radiographs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Conundrum.

Harneet KaurHarshita GuptaHimanshu DadlaniGulsheen Kaur KochharGurkeerat SinghRitasha BhasinAnuraj Singh KochharMohammad Khursheed Alam
Published in: BioMed research international (2022)
. Cross-contamination concerns through respiratory droplets grow while using intraoral film holders that stimulate gag reflex, coughing, saliva secretion, and if proper disinfection protocols are not applied. Since the patients' acquiring emergency dental treatment cannot be neglected, the return-to-work guidelines by the health regulatory bodies urge to prioritize extraoral radiographic imaging techniques to curb the infection, offering the best diagnostic efficacy. The dental professionals can consider cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans and sectional dental panoramic radiographs (SDPRs), followed by a risk assessment for COVID-19, a safer modality in reducing cross-contamination and assuring an innocuous environment for both patient and coworkers.
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