18 December 2022

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Monkeypox offers a new opportunity for research, collaboration

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Researchers from Peru said that dentists should be aware of the warning signs of Monkeypox virus (MPX) in the oral cavity. They should also learn how to treat patients with suspect lesions, using local public health guidelines, according to correspondence published Dec. 5 in the International Dental Journal.

Researchers led by Frank Mayta-Tovalino, corresponding author and a professor at the Universidad Científica de Sur in Lima, Peru, said that oral manifestations of the disease in all who present with MPX should be recorded and published to generate a more comprehensive account.

The team recently conducted a systematized Scopus search on global scientific publications on MPX in dentistry. Researchers said it was evident that few publications related to dentistry were available in this emerging field.

There were, notably, studies in two major high impact scientific journals of high impact, including articles in the International Dental Journal and Oral Diseases. The authors of these studies were primarily from Brazil and India.

Prevention and control of MPX transmission in dental practice necessitates maintaining robust standard infection control measures applied with all patients, the authors said. Current recommendations are to avoid dental treatment of patients with MPX who can still transmit the virus and, if essential, to provide such care in an isolated environment with the appropriate protective measures for the dentist and their team.

Frank Mayta-Tovalino, John Barja-Ore and Daniel Alvitez-Temoche. “Monkeypox in Dentistry: A New Opportunity for Research and Collaboration.” International Dental Journal. 5 December 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2022.11.007