ABSTRACT
The conditions of health-care professionals including dental fraternity have been extremely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dental care workers have suspended all routine dental activities with the fear of transmission of the virus from aerosol-generating dental procedures. They have also stood with medical care professionals as frontline warriors because of the exponentially overburdened of the COVID-19-positive patients worldwide. With the available literature, the aim of this article is to address the trajectories of the life of oral health workers during the outbreak of COVID-19 as well as to analyze what measures shall be taken to improve their overall physical, mental, social, and economic health and precautions while working in dental environment.
ABSTRACT
An online cross-sectional survey using a "snowball" sampling method was carried out to assess the adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures among dental care workers (DCWs) during the pandemic. Six questions concerning the COVID-19 preventive guidelines issued by the Vietnam Ministry of Health were used to evaluate DCWs' adherence to preventive measures at dental care clinics. The quality of life of DCWs was assessed using the WHO-5 questionnaire and was defined as low if the total score was less than 13 points. Factors relating to adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures of DCWs were determined by multivariate linear regression analysis. In total, 514 DCWs completed the questionnaire. A total of 37% DCWs rated their quality of life as low. Regression analysis suggested that older age, a better quality of life, living in an urban area, and training on COVID-19 prevention were associated with better adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures, while being a dentist and lack of personal protective equipment was associated with less adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures. The pandemic had a significant negative impact on the physical and mental health of DCWs. Therefore, specific national guidelines for the prevention and control of the spread of COVID-19 in dental facilities should be issued.