Home Dental Dental roles amongst highest for potential COVID-19 exposure, official UK stats reveal – Dentistry Online

Dental roles amongst highest for potential COVID-19 exposure, official UK stats reveal – Dentistry Online

by adminjay


Dental practitioners and dental nurses are among the top 10 riskiest roles in relation to potential COVID-19 exposure, new statistics reveal. 

New analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows dental nurses have the highest level of potential exposure to disease out of the occupations evaluated.

Dental practitioners came in sixth, with dental technicians closely following at number eight on the list.

The jobs are ranked ahead of other healthcare roles such as midwives, paramedics and nursing auxiliaries and assistants.

The top 10 occupations with the highest potential exposure to COVID-19 are:

  1. Dental nurses
  2. Nurses
  3. Medical practitioners
  4. Houseparents and residential wardens
  5. Care escorts
  6. Dental practitioners
  7. Medical radiographers
  8. Medical and dental technicians
  9. Veterinarians
  10. Midwives

Clear correlation

The statistics, which were released yesterday (May 11), were unveiled as part of a report into how the virus is spreading throughout the UK.

Additionally, dental nurses and dental practitioners take the top two spots for the occupations with the closest proximity to others – another key factor in assessing the risk of COVID-19.

The report states: ‘There is a clear correlation between exposure to disease, and physical proximity to others across all occupations.

‘Healthcare workers such as nurses and dental practitioners unsurprisingly both involve being exposed to disease on a daily basis, and they require close contact with others, though during the pandemic they are more likely to be using PPE.’

No higher death rate

However, the data found that healthcare workers did not have higher rates of COVID-19 deaths when compared to those of the same age and sex outside of the sector.

Looking into coronavirus-related deaths up to and including April 20, the report adds: ‘Healthcare workers, including those with jobs such as doctors and nurses, were not found to have higher rates of death involving COVID-19 when compared with the rate among those whose death involved COVID-19 of the same age and sex in the general population.’


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