The Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic in Dentistry

Abstract

With the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), strict isolation strategies to limit virus transmission have been applied worldwide. The lockdown has affected and challenged different medical areas. Doctors, nurses, dentists, and other healthcare workers (HCW) are concerned about contagion, not only for themselves but also for their families and colleagues. Furthermore, the oral mucosa has been accepted as a high-risk route of transmission of COVID-19. In many countries, dentists have been forced to stop working during quarantine until further notification. Isolation and its financial impact have produced physical and psychological pressure, depression, social anxiety, or other mental health concerns. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the consequences of past epidemics on mental health and to assess possible aspects that might be associated with mental implications in dentists during COVID -19 pandemic. Finally, some concrete actions to avoid subsequent potential consequences are recommended.