In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pandemic, the medical system has been subjected to many changes. Face-to-face treatments have been suspended for a period of time. After the lockdown, dentists have to be aware of the modalities to protect themselves and their patients in order not to get infected. Dental practitioners are potentially exposed to a high degree of contamination with SARS-CoV-2 while performing dental procedures that produce aerosols. It should also be noted that the airways, namely the oral cavity and nostrils, are the access pathways for SARS-CoV-2. In order to protect themselves and their patients, they have to use full personal protective equipment. Relevant data regarding this pandemic are under evaluation and are still under test. In this article, we made a synthesis about the way in which SARS-CoV-2 spreads, how to diagnose a novel corona virus infection, what the possible treatments are, and which protective personal equipment we can use to stop its spreading.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) that emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread worldwide, with a daily increase in confirmed cases and infection-related deaths. The World Health Organization declared a pandemic on the 11th of March 2020. COVID-19 presents flu-like symptoms that become severe in high-risk medically compromised subjects. The aim of this study was to perform an updated overview of the treatments and adjuvant protocols for COVID-19. Methods: A systematic literature search of databases was performed (MEDLINE PubMed, Google Scholar, UpToDate, Embase, and Web of Science) using the keywords: “COVID-19”, “2019-nCoV”, “coronavirus” and “SARS-CoV-2” (date range: 1 January 2019 to 31st October 2020), focused on clinical features and treatments. Results: The main treatments retrieved were antivirals, antimalarials, convalescent plasma, immunomodulators, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, and mesenchymal stem cells. Most of the described treatments may provide benefits to COVID-19 subjects, but no one protocol has definitively proven its efficacy. Conclusions: While many efforts are being spent worldwide in research aimed at identifying early diagnostic methods and evidence-based effective treatments, mass vaccination is thought to be the best option against this disease in the near future.

The immunomodulatory effect of a novel biomaterial obtained through electrospinning, based on polylactic acid (PLA) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HAP), loaded with doxycycline (doxy) was evaluated in an animal model. The treatment capabilities as a local non-surgical treatment of periodontitis was investigated on the lower incisors of Wistar rats, after the induction of localized periodontitis using the ligature technique. Following the induction of the disease, the non-surgical treatment of scaling and root planing was applied, in conjunction with the application of the new material. The results of the treatment were evaluated clinically, using the tooth mobility and gingival index scores, as well as histologically. The salivary concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) and plasmatic concentrations of interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were also monitored. Two weeks after the ligature application, the periodontal disease was successfully induced in rats. The application of the novel biomaterial obtained through electrospinning was proven to be more effective in improving the clinical parameters, while decreasing the salivary MMP-8 and plasmatic IL-1 and TNF-α concentrations, compared to the simple scaling and root planing. Thus, the novel electrospun biomaterial could be a strong candidate as an adjuvant to the non-surgical periodontal therapy.

To our knowledge, recent oral health data in Romania is poor, as no comprehensive oral health surveys have been carried out in the last five years. The present cross-sectional oral health survey aimed to assess the dental health status in 6 and 12-year old children from Transylvania, in correlation with their family background, oral-health behavior, and the intake of sweets. The study was conducted on 290 children from nine schools in the Transylvanian region of Romania. The study consisted of the clinical examination of children, recording of data in an International Cavity Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) chart, and a questionnaire referring to the child’s parental education, frequency, and motivation of visits to the dentist, dental care habits, and the intake of sweets. Our results indicated that the most prevalent ICDAS scores recorded in 6-year-old children were “0A” (p = 0.001464), “03” (p = 0.00366), “05” (p = 0.005563), “06” for rural areas. Restorations were statistically more prevalent in the urban population (p = 0.000076). The ICDAS score for 12-year old children was “03” (p = 0.003614) and prevalent in the urban area. The ICDAS score for the rural area was “04” (p = 0.0056). Comparing dental health status with family background demonstrated a strong correlation for the group of 6-year-old children, and a lack of correlation for the 12-year-old children. The number of dental visits corelated with the parents’ backgrounds, and was higher in the urban population. Frequent hygiene habits (toothbrushing) were statistically correlated with lower ICDAS scores: “04” (p = 0.016482), “05” (p = 0.039127), “06” (p = 0.010785). Eating habits in both age groups were associated with statistically significant differences of “03”, “04”, “05”, “06”, “0A” in the ICDAS score. The obtained results provided clarification on the dental health situation in Romania and the potential risk factors of caries among the population, and therefore it could be used as a starter point for future studies to investigate, in depth, the effects of various variables on cavities found in Transylvanian schoolchildren.

Pulpal pathology in young permanent teeth, caused by dental caries or trauma, can lead to disruption of root formation, leaving the tooth with an uncertain prognosis. Current therapies for such cases present a number of limitations; thus, the aim of this article is to provide an overview on the use of nanofibers in endodontics. The search was conducted on two databases and eight articles met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Data on nanofiber production and fiber characteristics were extracted and systematized in tables. Moreover, the ability of novel scaffolds to deliver either drugs or different therapeutic agents without interfering with the products’ characteristics is analyzed from the in vitro and in vivo data. The potential for nanofiber-based scaffolds to induce cellular differentiation and overcome the limitations of classic regenerative endodontic treatment is also discussed.