[Nickshu]

Periodontist here. As far as I have read there is still not a single case of doctor/staff to patient COVID transmission tied to any dental office in the United States.

There is WHO data from other countries where dentistry is a trade (not a profession) and infection control is little to none, no surprise there.

There is plenty of data that poor oral health reduces your immunity in general, so avoiding dental care may increase your risk vs reduce it.

We have been using the Air Vac extraoral suctions in our offices since May. We also installed HVAC systems to purify air, as well as air purifiers in the offices to provide adequate turnover rates. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't matter, but it makes our patients feel better. No real data out there yet.

That being said there are good studies from back during SARS that plain old regular dental HVE suctions remove well over 90% of aerosols, so there is a good argument that these additional devices are not necessary.

Bottom line is the dental office is among the lowest risk places you can visit as far as COVID. Studies done by MIT and Stanford in recent months put dental offices (in the USA) among the lowest risk places with regard to COVID.