ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the problems faced by dental patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 100 dental patients who had experienced post-complications due to the pandemic-induced lockdown were surveyed using a self-prepared questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using statistical analysis with SPSS, and the study included 108 responders, of which 43% were male and 57% were female. The results were presented in pie charts and bar graphs. The findings revealed that the pandemic situation had a significant impact on dental patients, with disruptions to follow-ups and other related procedures. Overall, this study highlights the unexpected challenges faced by dental patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for additional measures to address the issues caused by this situation. © 2023 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The compliance of dentists with good hygiene practices during the COVID-19 pandemic was essential to minimize the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 strains, and the pandemic has significantly interrupted the provision of oral health care to many individuals. We aimed to examine, in a cross-sectional study, factors affecting dental patients' compliance in primary dental health settings during the pandemic period. The present study was conducted on 300 dental patients visiting four private dental offices in the city of Larissa in Central Greece during the period October-December 2021. The patients in the study sample were of an average age of 45.79 years with a standard deviation of 15.54 years, and 58% of the sample were females. A significant proportion of the participants, 22%, reported that they would be influenced if they knew that the dentist had been ill with COVID-19 despite being fully recovered. A total of 88% of the participants reported that they would feel safe if they knew their dentist was vaccinated against COVID-19. Regarding the information received by dentists, 88% of the participants agreed that the dentist's role is important in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and 89% of them agreed that the information they received from the dentist about the COVID-19 pandemic was sufficient. One-third of the total sample reported that COVID-19 negatively impacted keeping dental appointments, and 43% of the sample kept scheduled appointments. A total of 98% reported that the dentist followed all health protocols against COVID-19 and that their office was equipped to follow health protocols. In the present study, we observe that dentists had adequate knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practices of infection control protocols against COVID-19 during the second wave, according to patients' perceptions.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restricted patients to reach healthcare personnel and postponed chronic diseases follow-ups.Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the dental treatment processes of patients and the effects of these processes on oral health from patient' perspective. Material and methods: A questionnaire consisting of COVID-19 and dental procedures was filled by patients applied to dental faculty. Data were evaluated using Pearson's χ2 test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 403 patients (248 females/155 males) participated in the present study. Toothache, abscess, and impacted tooth (27.8%) were the main reasons for the participants to apply to the hospital, followed by caries and filling (22.3%). Most of the participants (52.5%) did not hesitate to go to the dentist, but 60.8% of them postponed their treatment during the pandemic. More than half of the patients (56.1%) thought that dental procedures were risky in terms of COVID-19 transmission. The younger age group was less hesitant compared with the middle ages (p < 0.05). High school (65.7%) and university (58.7%) graduates believed that the risk of COVID-19 transmission from dental procedures was higher than in other groups (p < 0.05). Vaccinated individuals were statistically more hesitant of going to the dentist than those who were not vaccinated (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that toothache, abscess, and impacted tooth were the first reasons for applying to the dental hospital. Most of the patients stated that they hesitated to go to the dentist and postponed their treatments during the pandemic. Patients with higher education levels had a higher rate of vaccination. © 2022 Polish Dental Association.
ABSTRACT
The potential given by technology and telecommunication is continually transforming dental care. Teledentistry has the potential to increase the quality of community health care. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the patient's teledentistry knowledge, attitude, and practices. This is a 15 days cross-sectional research with an analytical component. The information was gathered using a 13-item questionnaire. The survey asked about sociodemographics and the respondent's perspective on teledentistry. Google forms were used to collect the responses electronically. The patient's knowledge, attitude, and practice on teledentistry were measured as part of the outcome. Out of the socio demographic variables education, occupation, nationality, and family income, occupation was statistically significant. On the phone, 59.7% of the respondents said, they had received assistance from a dentist concerning their difficulties. On a virtual platform, 49.4 percent of respondents received advise from their dentist. According to the findings, participants believed that speaking with a dentist over the phone or via a virtual platform is equivalent to meeting with the dentist in person.
ABSTRACT
The primary aim of this observational survey study was to assess patients' attitudes toward clinical dental practice during the COVID-19 pandemic; the secondary aim was to evaluate patients' attitudes towards oral health by maintaining an appropriate lifestyle and oral hygiene at home. The questionnaire was developed using Google Forms. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: Part A-geographic, demographic, and personal data; Part B-patients' attitude toward oral health selfcare and lifestyle; Part C-patients' attitude toward dental practice. This survey, conducted during the months of November and December 2020, enrolled 1135 subjects throughout Italy. All data were statistically analyzed. COVID-19 has changed patients' approach to dental procedures. Most of the people interviewed lived in families, and their greatest fear was infecting a family member. Restrictive measures forced people to stay at home, which led to an increased consumption of various types of food, including cariogenic foods. People said they felt safe when they went to the dentist, but they also paid special attention to measures to prevent contagion. Among the measures that should be introduced in similar situations in the future, people wanted telemedicine, a phone recall, and the possible use of video clips for home oral care instructions.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a major health concern globally ever since it was declared as Pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Due to the evolving and contagious nature of coronavirus, it continues to remain a threat for dental health-care personnel. As the virus travels from person-to-person via direct contact through droplet inhalation, cough, and sneeze or through contact transmission, it remains infectious even through inanimate surfaces. A seemingly healthy asymptomatic person may have the potential to trigger the spread of this disease. Coronavirus has the capability of spreading through community transmission. There is no specific treatment or vaccine as of now for stopping the spread of COVID-19, hence universal precautions and awareness with mass involvement is required to ward off this pandemic. Dental health-care personnel are at immense risk due to the near proximity with patients and continual exposure to saliva, blood, and other body fluids. Management protocol regarding awareness and preventive measures should be laid down for dental clinic/hospital to contain the outspread of this infectious disease.