The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all aspects of society, with dentistry facing specific challenges in maintaining access to dental services within a safe environment. One of the key challenges in early 2020 was the lack of knowledge and understanding around the risks of transmission of a novel coronavirus in the dental setting. The lack of credible research, particularly within the primary care setting, led to challenges in developing reasonable and informed guidance to support the profession. As a consequence, research from other settings was translated to dentistry that was viewed by some as inappropriate. Dental academics were keen to contribute, but with limited research capacity, particularly within primary care, the lack of empirical evidence undoubtedly hampered progress in dealing with the threat of coronavirus.