Pre-dental treatment screening in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a questionnaire survey of dental practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Dental practitioners have a high risk of contracting COVID-19 during the treatment of patients because of exposure to airborne droplets. However, the application of pre-procedure treatment screening in dental practices in Indonesia varied during the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of updated pre-procedure dental treatment protocols and procedures among dental practitioners in Indonesia. METHODS: This study consisted of dentists registered as members of the Indonesian Dental Association who attended the Indonesian Dental Association webinar series in 2021. All the participants completed a questionnaire survey. The participants, who were from various regions in Indonesia, were granted password-protected access to a URL hosting the questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic information and contained questions on adherence to updated protocols and patient screening procedures, to which the respondents answered "Yes" or "No". For the analysis, the participants were divided into three groups based on the type of facility where they were employed: public (government) hospitals, private hospitals, or university hospitals (dental schools). A chi-square test was used to investigate the association between professional background and the implementation of updated protocols, including pre-procedure dental treatment screening. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The age range of the participants was 20 - 60 years. The participants worked in facilities in 32 provinces in Indonesia. In total, there were 5,323 participants (males: n = 829; females: n = 4,494). In terms of professional backgrounds, 2,171, 2,867, and 285 participants were employed in government hospitals, private hospitals, and dental faculties, respectively. Among 5,232 participants who implemented updated COVID-19 prevention protocols, 5,053 (98%) participants performed pre-surgery procedures Among 151 participants who did not implement updated COVID-19 prevention protocols, 133 (88%) individuals carried out pre-rinse procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all the dental practitioners employed in government hospitals, private hospitals, and dental faculties in Indonesia performed pre-surgery patient screening procedures. There was an agreement between the dental professionals in all three settings on the need for COVID-19 pre-treatment screening procedures in dental practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Vaccines in Indonesia: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Acceptance Among Dental Professionals.

Background: At the time of writing, the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Indonesia has exceeded 2 million. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions in and unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems, including the one in Indonesia. Healthcare professionals, especially dentists, have an increased risk of contracting the virus. Many dental professionals in Indonesia have been exposed to the virus through close contact with aerosols and droplets from the oral cavities of their patients and have subsequently become infected. The Indonesian government commenced its COVID-19 vaccination program in January 2021. It is necessary to achieve high COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates among health workers. However, immunizations are voluntary, and some healthcare workers may be reluctant to receive them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and acceptance of dental professionals of COVID-19 vaccines. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists taking part in the Indonesia Dental Association webinar in June 2021. Google Docs was used to create an online questionnaire, which was disseminated to the participants at the end of the webinar. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions developed after being reviewed by experts. The questionnaire collected demographic data (age, gender, location, and affiliation/institution) and data on the dental professionals' knowledge and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia as well as their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. The respondents selected one option (agree/neutral/disagree) in response to each statement in the questionnaire. For data analysis, the respondents were divided into three groups according to their professional activity/employment category: national hospital (GOV), private hospital (PRIVATE), or academic faculty in a dental school (ACADEMIC). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and expressed as frequencies and percentages. A chi-square test was used to investigate the association between professional activity and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. Results: In total, 779 dentists from 34 provinces in Indonesia completed the questionnaire. There were 646 (83%) females and 133 (17%) males, with an age range of 24-73 years. In terms of the distribution of professional affiliations, the respondents included 23 (3%) academics, 285 (36.5%) private hospital/private practice practitioners, and 471 (60.5%) national hospital practitioners. In the statistical analysis, unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Conclusions: Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is an essential determinant of vaccine uptake and the likelihood of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. There is agreement between dental professionals in private hospitals and academic faculties (dental school) regarding the need for COVID-19 vaccination. Developing strategies to reduce public hesitation and increase trust is vital for implementing vaccination programs, and dentists can play a role in increasing the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccines in Indonesia: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Acceptance Among Dental Professionals

Background: At the time of writing, the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Indonesia has exceeded 2 million. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions in and unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems, including the one in Indonesia. Healthcare professionals, especially dentists, have an increased risk of contracting the virus. Many dental professionals in Indonesia have been exposed to the virus through close contact with aerosols and droplets from the oral cavities of their patients and have subsequently become infected. The Indonesian government commenced its COVID-19 vaccination program in January 2021. It is necessary to achieve high COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates among health workers. However, immunizations are voluntary, and some healthcare workers may be reluctant to receive them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and acceptance of dental professionals of COVID-19 vaccines. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists taking part in the Indonesia Dental Association webinar in June 2021. Google Docs was used to create an online questionnaire, which was disseminated to the participants at the end of the webinar. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions developed after being reviewed by experts. The questionnaire collected demographic data (age, gender, location, and affiliation/institution) and data on the dental professionals' knowledge and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia as well as their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. The respondents selected one option (agree/neutral/disagree) in response to each statement in the questionnaire. For data analysis, the respondents were divided into three groups according to their professional activity/employment category: national hospital (GOV), private hospital (PRIVATE), or academic faculty in a dental school (ACADEMIC). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and expressed as frequencies and percentages. A chi-square test was used to investigate the association between professional activity and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. Results: In total, 779 dentists from 34 provinces in Indonesia completed the questionnaire. There were 646 (83%) females and 133 (17%) males, with an age range of 24–73 years. In terms of the distribution of professional affiliations, the respondents included 23 (3%) academics, 285 (36.5%) private hospital/private practice practitioners, and 471 (60.5%) national hospital practitioners. In the statistical analysis, unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Conclusions: Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is an essential determinant of vaccine uptake and the likelihood of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. There is agreement between dental professionals in private hospitals and academic faculties (dental school) regarding the need for COVID-19 vaccination. Developing strategies to reduce public hesitation and increase trust is vital for implementing vaccination programs, and dentists can play a role in increasing the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.