There has been a considerable drop in the uptake of childhood vaccinations over the last 10 years, and England no longer has the level of population for WHO-recommended immunity needed to prevent outbreaks.
With the start of the new school year, there are fears of a fresh surge of cases and dentists should make themselves and other members of staff aware of public health messaging around measles.
Dentists should also be aware of how measles can present. The disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms including a fever, runny or blocked nose, sneezing, coughing, and sore red eyes. After a few days a rash will develop; this goes away with pressure and often begins on the face before travelling to the rest of the body.
The rash is usually not itchy and can appear brown or red on lighter skin, and can be less visible on darker skin. Most relevant for dentists is that small white spots can also become visible inside the cheeks and the back of the lips.
If you suspect a patient has measles, you should advise them to call their GP for an urgent appointment or to call 111. In terms of management and advice, the patient should be told to rest and drink plenty of fluids, take paracetamol or ibuprofen for a high temperature and use cotton wool soaked in warm water to remove any crusts from their eyes. Measles usually starts to get better after a week.
Measles is a very unpleasant disease, and patients may need to be hospitalised. Those in higher risk groups have a greater chance of complications, and in rare cases it can be deadly. Dentists and other staff might mention that one dose of the MMR vaccination is 95% effective at preventing measles and this rises to 99% with a second dose.
Learn more about the spread of measles, and the MMR vaccine.