Background Although rates of COVID-19 have remained low among US dentists, we wanted to determine the risk of COVID-19 in patients presenting for oral health care Methods A retrospective chart review of all emergency department consults was performed from June 2020 to December 2020 Pearson correlation coefficients were used to compare rates to city-wide prevalence (p &lt; 0 05) Results We located 203 encounters with 149 tests, and 10 cases of COVID-19 Cases were strongly correlated with city-wide positivity-rate (R=0 9147, p=0 0039) All positive cases were asymptomatic and afebrile, and half (50%) visited a dentist within a week of consultation Conclusions The rate of COVID-19 in a population seeking oral health care reflects the community positivity-rate Asymptomatic or presymptomatic patients present risks to providers, staff, and other patients Practical Implications Dentists should remain vigilant during the ongoing COVID-19, even with vaccination rollout The CDC maintains an accessible website with easy access to your state’s positivity rate and case load
What is the rate of COVID-19 infection in a population seeking dental care?