LETTER: In March, the New York Times published an article on professions who are st risk of Covid-19. The dental profession has been listed at the highest risk of Covid-19 exposure. These include dentists, dental surgery assistants, dental therapists and dental laboratory technologists.
Close proximity to patients coupled with associated aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) are the main contributing factors.
While it is almost impossible to perform dental procedure at a distance, the only way to reduce the risk during this pandemic is by reducing the number of aerosol-generating procedures and limiting the number of patients seen in clinic.
Since the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18, public and private dental schools have ceased clinical dental training and teaching.
The Higher Education Ministry suspended face-to-face clinical teaching, and recommended online teaching and learning based on a university's capabilities.
However, exceptions are made for some students, including final-year dental students, who are required to complete their clinical training, subject to the termination of the MCO.
To graduate as a dentist, apart from passing the final written examination, dental students need to meet the minimum clinical experience (MCE) and expected clinical experience (ECE) and, more importantly, demonstrate competency skills as recommended by the Malaysian Dental Council (MDC) and Dental Dean Council.
MCE and ECE ensure dental graduates are able to perform clinical procedures on patient independently based on a predetermined standard while practising safe dentistry. MCE and ECE both hands-on in nature, which includes, clinical, laboratory and simulation skills.
These coming months are critical to ensure dental students are equipped with not only clinical skills, but also new cross-infection procedures in this Covid-19 pandemic.
For the past several weeks, dental schools have been preparing themselves with standard operating procedure (SOP) to receive students and patients, and to continue dental teaching under the new norm in clinical practice. The new norm will set a new standard of care in dental practice.
The Malaysian Qualifications Agency recommended the ratio of one lecturer to every four to six dental students. Under the new norm of clinical supervision, owing to cross infection control, the ratio will improve to one lecturer to one to two dental students.
This will significantly improve the clinical dental training for the students. Apart from that, patient can expect a high quality of dental treatment under supervision of clinical specialist lecturers.
As only final-year students are allowed to return to universities, there will be fewer number of dental students in a given time. In simulation clinic or laboratory, non-clinical hands-on procedures can be performed with a small group of students. This will allow students to have more interaction with their supervisors and improve their competency skills.
With the reopening of dental schools, and a new SOP, public can expect a high quality of care from dental students.
DR AHMAD FAISAL ISMAIL
KULLIYYAH OF DENTISTRY, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times