Could we have prevented all this? A comparison of the British and South Korean primary dental care response to COVID-19

Abstract

To limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Britain enforced a strict national lockdown, which is affecting the lives of millions, including dental professionals. As a result, all routine dental work has been suspended and general dental practitioners (GDPs) are inevitably faced with financial difficulties, as well as an impending strain on dental services once the lockdown is lifted. In contrast, South Korea (SK) has effectively managed to keep the virus at bay without a lockdown and continues to deliver routine dental care throughout this period. This article compares the current status of primary dental care in the UK and SK under COVID-19, in order to explore how the dental profession can better mitigate the repercussions of a future epidemic crisis.