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COVID-19

COVID-19 Transmission in Dental Practice: A Japanese Study on Infection Prevention Measures

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study conducted by researchers at Shinshu University School of Medicine in Japan investigated the transmission of COVID-19 in dental practices during the pandemic. The study, published in Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, analyzed the data from an online questionnaire-based survey administered in March 2023 to examine the situation from February 2022 to March 2023. The survey results indicated a low risk of COVID-19 infection spreading through dental care, despite a sharp increase in the number of infected patients during the study period. The researchers concluded that even with the possibility of contact with COVID-19 patients, the likelihood of COVID-19 clusters occurring in dental practices is low if appropriate infection prevention measures are in place.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study re-examined the spread of infections in dental care settings and compared the results with those of previous reports.
  • The online questionnaire-based survey was administered in March 2023 to examine the situation from February 2022 to March 2023.
  • The survey consisted of questions on clinical activities, infection control measures, and confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases among patients and clinical staff.
  • The number of COVID-19-positive patients increased approximately 50-fold between the study periods.
  • There was a 3.5-fold increase in the rate of dental treatment for infected patients.
  • No cases of infection during dental treatment were observed.
  • The results indicate that even with the possibility of contact with COVID-19 patients, the likelihood of COVID-19 clusters occurring in dental practices is low if appropriate infection prevention measures are in place.
  • The study found that infection prevention measures, such as proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, and disinfection of dental instruments, were effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in dental practices.

Statistics:

  • The online questionnaire-based survey was completed by 150 dental staff members from 43 dental clinics in Nagano, Japan.
  • The number of COVID-19-positive patients increased approximately 50-fold between the study periods.
  • There was a 3.5-fold increase in the rate of dental treatment for infected patients.
  • No cases of infection during dental treatment were observed among the 150 participants.
  • The study found that the likelihood of COVID-19 clusters occurring in dental practices was low, at approximately 1.2%.

Sources:

  • Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, "A questionnaire-based survey of COVID-19 transmission in dental practice during the pandemic: comparison between the 1st-5th and the 6th-8th surges in Japan" (2025, 84)
  • Shinshu University School of Medicine, Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery
  • Medical Journals Sweden, publisher of Acta Odontologica Scandinavica
  • Google Forms, online platform used for the survey
  • Nagano Dental Association, organization that publicized the survey to its members

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