According to UAB News, data published in the Journal of the American Dental Association showed that less than 1 percent of dentists in the United States were found to be COVID-19-positive. The data was collected in June 2020 during the height of COVID-19 infection spread in the United States. The study also found that 99.7 percent of dentists were utilizing enhanced infection control and prevention measures.
During the initial pandemic period, dentists were thought to be among one of the highest-risk professionals due to proximity with patients and aerosol-generating dental procedures. The reported data may indicate that dentists’ baseline infection control, prevention measures and personal protective equipment — as well as the enhanced measures — may have minimized risk and created safe treatment environments for dentists, dental staff and patients alike.