DZZ International, 06/2020

In many areas of life, sustainability, environmental protection and resource conservation are part of social and political discussions. It has been known for nearly 20 years that healthcare systems may also have a negative impact on the environment. Likewise, dental healthcare has contributed to climate change and environmental pollution over time due to the required use of large amounts of electricity, water and plastic. However, dentists around the world are searching for ways to design processes of dental practices that are more resource-efficient and sustainable. In the following article, the current state of academic literature will be examined in detail.

At the beginning of summer 2020, the names and rankings of the scientific journals with a Journal Impact Factor (JIF) for the year 2019 were released (InCites Journal Citation Reports, Clarivate Analytics). Presently, 12,827 journals have a JIF value. In the following, as regularly since 2015 [22–26], the current JIFs from den¬tistry are presented and compared to the scientific journals with the highest JIF. Furthermore, the Median Impact Factor (MIF) of the category Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine is compared with that of other disciplines.

Retention silicones can be used for temporary anchoring of removable dentures on root-anchored ball attachments. From a geriatric point of view, they offer the possibility of a quick and cost-effective improvement of the position stability and retention of the removable dentures. Clinical studies are however required to elucidate the long-term performance of these materials. Keywords: complication, double-crown, removable dental prosthesis, repair, retention silicon, root-anchored ball attachment

Introduction: It is well known that droplets and aerosols may cause infections in dental staff. Therefore adequate protective measures against pathogens transmitted via droplets or aerosols from the patients' oral cavity are of great importance in dental practices. Due to close contact between dental professionals and patients' oral cavity and the formation of droplets, spray mist and aerosols during dental interventions, hygiene and precautionary measures are used in dental practice to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Methods: Relevant information regarding the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 pandemic was obtained from electronic databases such as PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, using the following search terms: "SARS-CoV-2" OR "COVID-19", "airborne transmission", "mouth rinse", "dental", "aerosol" OR "aerosol generating procedures", "droplet", "FFP2" OR "FFP3" OR "N95" OR "mask". Latest reports and guidelines from major health authorities such as the Robert Koch-Institut (RKI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), as well as major national dental associations and health regulatory bodies were also referred. Results: Protecting dental professionals and patients from infections while ensuring basic dental care for the population is of paramount importance. With that in mind, this guideline presents recommendations for dental prac-titioners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, aerosols, dental practice, droplets, infections, prevention