Effect of a One-Time Communication Training Session on Dental Students' Self-Efficacy Expectancy.

An implementation of training units that provide evidence for improving students' communication skills in the dental curriculum is now more than ever of utmost importance. This study aimed to investigate how students assess their skills after communication training and whether this training also increased students' self-efficacy expectancy. A total of 32 male and 71 female students with a mean age of 25.6 ± 3.9 years participated in the study. Self-assessment of communication skills and self-efficacy expectancies were collected at two time points using Likert scales. Our study shows that the communication training, consisting of a practical exercise with actors and an online theory module, significantly improved the students' self-assessment of their communication skills and also improved some aspects of self-efficacy expectancy. These results indicate that, in addition to the practical and technical-theoretical training of students, communication training is essential in the dental curriculum. In summary, this study showed that a one-time practical exercise with actors together with an online theory module could improve both the self-assessment of communication competence and some aspects of self-efficacy expectancy, which demonstrates the importance of training communication skills alongside practical and technical-theoretical training.

Interplay of pandemic and seasonal parameters in dental emergency service.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the relationship between pandemic events and dental emergency service frequentation. Utilization patterns in the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed and considered in regard of seasonal parameters. METHODS: All outpatients seeking treatment in a university hospital's dental emergency service were analyzed in the years 2019, 2019 and 2020 according to demographic data and emergencies were subdivided into "absolute" and "relative". The years 2018 and 2019 were used to compare COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 phases. Defined waves of the pandemic were compared with equivalent prior-year periods. RESULTS: Our study includes 11,219 dental emergency patients over a period of three years with a slight surplus of male patients. Comparing the pre-COVID-19 years and 2020 as a year of pandemic, the total count of cases decreased by more than 25%. The share of absolute emergencies in 2020 was higher than in the years before (p < 0.0001). The under-utilization during the waves was more pronounced during the first wave compared to the second waves. CONCLUSIONS: Additionally to the clear decrease by more than 25% in 2020, we found an inverse dependency of 7-day-incidence of COVID-19 and number of visits. This effect was more distinct for relative emergencies, while the number of patients with absolute emergencies remains rather constant. Probably, there is an acclimatization effect regarding the waves. Patients older than 60 years who suffered from relative emergencies showed an under-utilzation during 2020. During a pandemic such as COVID-19, the effect of under-utilization is more pronounced among elderly patients. However, a pandemic acclimatization effect seems to occur. This can be taken into account in the administration of this kind of circumstances in the future.

Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Practices in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

An observational cross-sectional survey was planned and carried out to evaluate the economic impact of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic on dental practices in Germany. An online-questionnaire was developed and previously calibrated by a group consisting of experts from dentists, lawyers, and business economists (n = 21; Intra-Class-Coefficient > 0.8). It consisted of four main categories: vital statistics, professional activity and practice structure, economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and validation and contextualization to avoid automated filling in. The questionnaire was administered anonymously to 9732 dentists in Germany, 4434 of whom opened it and 1496 of whom fully completed it. These results were evaluated and summarized. Respondents were divided into seven German economic macro areas. Difference in proportion among questionnaire items was evaluated with χ2 test or Fisher exact test appropriately. Linear trend analysis was performed among German macro areas. Ordinal multinomial linear regression analysis was run to evaluate the association with questionnaire items with respect to a collapse and/or quarantine measures due to a positive test/infection/disease of dental personnel or an increase in average monthly costs due to the pandemic. One-third experienced a collapse or quarantine measures of the predominantly self-employed participating dentists (92%). Small practices were less affected than larger ones. Average monthly costs increased sharply in all practice structures. The findings shall help to better manage future pandemics and provide information to policy makers. As the pandemic situation is still ongoing, the medium- and long-term economic impact should be further evaluated.

Efficacy of a Toothpaste Based on Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite on Children with Hypersensitivity Caused by MIH: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Hypersensitivity is a frequent complaint in children with molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH). This double-blind randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate non-inferiority in hypersensitivity relief of a toothpaste containing microcrystalline hydroxyapatite compared to amine fluoride in children with MIH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children were randomised into 2 groups: either hydroxyapatite (intervention) or amine fluoride toothpaste (control). The primary endpoint was pain sensation in response to tactile stimulus (Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale) 56 days after randomisation and analysed by mixed effects linear regression analysis. Non-inferiority was inferred if the upper limit of the one-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference between intervention and control group was below the non-inferiority margin of 1 in the ITT (intention-to-treat) and PP (per protocol) population. RESULTS: Twenty-one children were randomised and 14 children finished the study per protocol. In the ITT population, hydroxyapatite was non-inferior to amine fluoride (mean difference: -0.75 95%CI [-∞;0.49]). In the PP population, non-inferiority could not be shown (-0.62 [-∞;1.08]). CONCLUSIONS: Overall non-inferiority in hypersensitivity relief of a toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite compared to amine fluoride could not be shown. However, the hydroxyapatite group tended to be less hypersensitive in both populations. Attrition of the PP population due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to loss of statistical power.

Dental Workload Reduction during First SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Lockdown in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

An observational cross-sectional survey was planned to analyze the weekly workload reduction of German dentists during lockdown due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were predominantly members of the Free Association of German Dentists and filled in an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to a total of 9416 dentists, with a response rate of 27.98% (n = 2635). Respondents were divided into seven macro areas by gross domestic product. Nearly two-thirds of dentists (65.16%) reported a reduction in their practice workload of more than 50% compared to the pre-pandemic period with statistically significant differences between German macro areas (p < 0.01). Weekly workload was reduced during the lockdown in 93.00% of study participants, while 55.33% dental care centers with multiple employed dentists under the direction of a non-dentist general manager had only a 40% reduction in weekly workload compared to a solo practice or a practice of a dentist with an employed dentist (30.24% and 28.39%, respectively). Dentists in Germany drastically reduced their practice activity during the first wave of the COVID-19 lockdown, both in rural and urban areas. Short, medium, and long-term effects of the pandemic on dental practices, dental staff as well as patient care need to be further investigated.

Study Protocol for an Online Questionnaire Survey on Symptoms/Signs, Protective Measures, Level of Awareness and Perception Regarding COVID-19 Outbreak among Dentists. A Global Survey.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have developed preparedness and prevention checklists for healthcare professionals regarding the containment of COVID-19. The aim of the present protocol is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak among dentists in different countries where various prevalence of the epidemic has been reported. Several research groups around the world were contacted by the central management team. The online anonymous survey will be conducted on a convenience sample of dentists working both in national health systems and in private or public clinics. In each country/area, a high (~5-20%) proportion of dentists working there will be invited to participate. The questionnaire, developed and standardized previously in Italy, has four domains: (1) personal data; (2) symptoms/signs relative to COVID-19; (3) working conditions and PPE (personal protective equipment) adopted after the infection's outbreak; (4) knowledge and self-perceived risk of infection. The methodology of this international survey will include translation, pilot testing, and semantic adjustment of the questionnaire. The data will be entered on an Excel spreadsheet and quality checked. Completely anonymous data analyses will be performed by the central management team. This survey will give an insight into the dental profession during COVID-19 pandemic globally.