The College of Dentistry has started receiving its students to attend practical and clinical courses for the academic year 1442 A.H., while taking the necessary precautionary measures to protect them.

The college commenced its academic year by welcoming its students in the various stages, especially the new students through the virtual "remote" induction programs, as well as the internship doctors and academic staff members, who were introduced to the study plan and schedules.

Prof. Ibtisam Afifi, Professor of Microbiology and the Head of the Infection Control Unit at the College of Dentistry, presented "remote" lectures for students at different levels and academic staff members of the college. In the lectures, she addressed the policies pursued by the college to treat patients in dental clinics in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and in accordance with international recommendations and the agreements of the Saudi Ministry of Health.

The college has also set up visual triage stations at the entrance to the teaching hospital and at the entrances of the female students’ facilities, in anticipation of the emergence of any cases among the visitors, students, academic members, and staff. In these stations, temperatures are taken, the examination form of the Saudi Ministry of Health is used, pathways for entry and exit are identified, and social distancing as well as the avoidance of crowding are ensured.

The college has circulated an infection control policy on how to deal with patients and how to receive them via e-mail. It has also issued prevention instructions on informative posters and display screens in the college and the teaching hospital, stressing adherence to these instructions while in the vicinity of the college.

The college decided to increase its working hours to 8 p.m. This is to guarantee that students will attend and can be divided into groups when entering clinics and laboratories. This attendance policy ensures that an adequate distance is maintained for their safety and the safety of patients during treatment, avoiding overcrowding and preserving social distancing between them.