UV Irradiation as a Disinfection Method to Reduce Covid-19 Cross-Contamination in Dentistry: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) quickly became a pandemic. Its transmission occurs mainly by direct contact, but its indirect transmission cannot be neglected. The dental office becomes a place of a high risk of contamination, mainly through aerosols and particles decanted on the surface. Concern about biosafety has become imminent and essential supplies of personal protection have become scarce. Several methods of disinfecting protective materials, the environment, and surfaces are being studied to reduce cross-infection, such as ultraviolet (UV) light. Our objective was to conduct a review of the recent literature in order to elucidate the use of UV technology in disinfecting environments and surfaces to reduce crosscontamination of COVID-19 in the health area, and how it can be used in the dental area. The PubMed database was used, and the articles were selected according to their relevance between 2018 and 2020. It is concluded that decontamination in environments and surfaces is effective, while the use of UV in PPE seems to be possible but deserves attention. It is suggested to carry out further studies aimed at disinfection by UV light in the dental area so that it can be used safely and effectively.