Positive impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on dental education

This letter describes some positive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on dental education in India. The apex body of dental education, the Dental Council of India (DCI) has formulated some universal guidelines based on those of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about the use of personal protection and following sterilisation protocols adapted for use in dental clinics, hospitals and academic institutions of dental education in India(1). All individual dental clinics, hospitals and academic institutions have to follow stringent and mandatory sterilisation protocols, hence with the Covid-19 outbreak, some unethical practices of the dental profession such as inadequate sterilisation and improper waste management may be reversed (1,2). Emergency dental procedures also have to follow stringent sterilisation guidelines, to avoid aerosol-generating procedures (1). Dental professionals have been utilising teledentistry facilities during the pandemic which focus on emergency relief of dental pain and infection, and elective planning and scheduling of dental treatment (3).