The COVID-19 experience of orthodontists in Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthodontic clinical services in Jordan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Google Forms electronic questionnaires were distributed between March and June 2021 using the WhatsApp platform of the Jordanian Orthodontic Society and via direct WhatsApp messages. The survey was identical and contemporaneous to that used in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: The survey yielded 127 unique responses, giving a response rate of 53.1%. The factors that had the greatest impact on service delivery were government guidance (78%), patients' fear of attending (70.1%), and increased cross-infection measures (65.4%). The survey revealed that there had been a perceived deterioration in oral hygiene (60.3%) and levels of compliance (61.9%) in patients in active treatment even though patients in treatment were prioritized during the pandemic. Also, 56.8% of respondents felt clinical staff should be vaccinated and undergo regular testing for COVID-19. Orthodontists within Jordan were optimistic regarding the speed at which clinical services would return to pre-pandemic levels of activity with 32.5% anticipating this would take less than 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in active orthodontic treatment, during COVID-19, have been prioritized but at the expense of new and review patients. Respondents in Jordan felt COVID-19 would have ongoing effects on clinical care, professional practice, and society. Most respondents supported the vaccination of orthodontic staff and were optimistic about the effect of a vaccination program on restoring clinical services.

The COVID-19 experience of orthodontists in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: To understand and compare the perceived impact and ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthodontic clinical services in the UK. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Online electronic questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: Members of the British Orthodontic Society (BOS). METHODS: Electronic questionnaires were circulated between March and June 2021. The UK survey was distributed via emails from the BOS, Orthodontic Managed Clinical Networks and WhatsApp groups. RESULTS: A total of 560 unique responses were received. There were more respondents who were aged over 50 years (52%) then respondents who were aged below 50 years (48%) with the median age range being 50-54 years (20%). The main causes of disruption to clinical practice were felt to be national restrictions (85%), increased cross-infection measures (84%), social distancing (80%) and professional guidance (80%). Respondents felt more negatively in their opinions regarding dentistry's preparedness for the pandemic (5%) and how dentistry coped in the crisis (35%), when compared to orthodontic services specifically (8% and 58%, respectively). The respondents were not confident about the potential beneficial effects of a vaccination programme on orthodontic clinical service provision (21%). Telephone consultations (84%) and video consultations (61%) were the main adaptations used by the respondents during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents felt that COVID-19 will have long-term societal, clinical and professional implications. The majority of our respondents supported the vaccination and weekly testing of the orthodontic team. Respondents felt that during the pandemic there had been a deterioration in care provision and were not optimistic about a vaccination programme restoring services to pre-pandemic levels of activity. During the pandemic, patients in active orthodontic treatment have been prioritised but at the expense of new and review patients, and as services recover respondents were concerned about the difficulty of arranging dental extractions.

Quality, Effectiveness and Outcome of Blended Learning in Dental Education during the COVID Pandemic: Prospects of a Post-Pandemic Implementation

Blended learning is growing in popularity particularly following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. One of the fields that the pandemic has substantially affected is dental education. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the online dental education. Students’perceptions and experiences of blended learning were also investigated. Methods: A 28-question online survey was designed to gauge students’perceptions of the effect of blended learning on their academic performance. Results: 314 participants in preclinical and clinical years completed the questionnaire (223 females and 91 males). The majority of students (89%) believed that clinical and practical courses cannot be given by the internet. In terms of students’opinion in the assessment process, more females (65.8%) preferred traditional exams than males (50.5%) (p < 0.05). Most clinical students (83%) preferred a combination of online and traditional teaching compared to 72% of preclinical students (p < 0.05). Clinical year students were more willing to communicate electronically with their classmates and instructors. The majority of dental students (65%) reported that future dental courses should be blended. Conclusions: In the pandemic era, blended learning, should become the preferred method of education whereby theoretical knowledge is delivered through online tutorials and clinical training is resumed on-site, to ensure competency of dental graduates while maintaining safety of the dental team. Current facilities and course designs should be improved in order to improve students’experiences with blended learning.