The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Tourism in Croatia

Dental tourism is based on providing dental services outside the home country at more favourable prices but with added value in tourist offers and arrangements. Croatia has become a destination for affordable and at the same time quality dental tourism due to low prices, high quality, and natural beauties. In addition to dental services, most clinics offer transportation and accommodation. Dental tourists want to combine dental services with vacation, which makes Croatia a desirable destination precisely because of the natural beauty and abundance of rich content. For this reason, many Croatian dentists have recognized dental tourism as an additional source of income or as their primary business orientation. Although clinics operating within dental tourism are located throughout Croatia, the most significant number is in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Split. Patients mostly come from developed countries such as Italy, Austria, Germany, UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and the USA, where dental procedures are not as affordable. Dental tourism in Croatia had exponential growth until March 2020, when, for the first time, it faced a global problem and was challenged in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergencies in dental surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Patients' negligence and difficult access to healthcare have an impact on the worsening of emergency conditions, which require immediate treatment due to the possibility of exacerbation in a short period of time. Untreated intra- and extraoral abscesses can have serious consequences on the patient's health and in many cases are life-threatening conditions increasing risk of respiratory obstruction, thrombophlebitis, meningitis, mediastinitis and septicemia. Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the pandemic and the resulting impediments to accessing medical care on the incidence and type of emergencies in the Oral Surgery Department. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study of 85375 patients aged 2 months to 90 years old with diagnosed intra- and extraoral abscesses before COVID-19 pandemic (2018,2019), and during pandemic (2020, 2021) in the Department of Oral Surgery of the Medical University in Lublin. The obtained results were statistically analyzed with the use of a computer program. Conclusions: The fewest patients were admitted in 2020, and the most in 2021, where we can already see the effects of the pandemic. Emergencies occurred most frequently in people aged 21-30, then 31-40. In 365 cases, tooth extraction was performed, and only in 28 cases, root canal treatment was attempted. Conclusions. Oral health service provision has been significantly affected by COVID-19. Patients came to their appointments too late, which in most cases resulted in the necessity of tooth extraction without attempting root canal treatment.

Impact of sars-COV-2 on the attitudes of patients with prosthodontic needs

Aim: SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic that has negative consequences for many parts of life. To our knowledge, no study has assessed the effect of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on a possible delay in prosthodontic treatments because of a potential concern of contamination in individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess this potential impact of fear, as well as oral health-related quality of life, in partially edentulous patients using questionnaires during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A total of 135 partially edentulous patients (74 females and 61 males aged 18-70 years) participated in this study. A complete questionnaire consisting of general knowledge questions on SARS-CoV-2 and the OIDP scale, which evaluates the effect of oral status on daily activities were used in participants. Result(s): Statistical analyzes showed that participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 and/or who are aware of a member of their social circle with a history of the virus, and/or who is deceased, were unwilling to receive dental care during the pandemic. Most of the participants between the ages of 31 and 60 were more worried about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during dental treatment. Discussion(s): Concerns about SARS-CoV-2 contamination of patients over 30 years of age may have a negative impact on oral health due to delayed prosthodontic treatments.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.

Cross Infection Control Awareness During 5th Wave of Covid 19 Pandemic, Omicron Variant Amongst the Dental Health Care Professionals of Government Sector University in Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the awareness of cross-infection control measures followed by DHCPs during the 5th wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Omicron variant in a government sector university of Karachi, Pakistan. Method(s): A Cross-sectional study was conducted from June till September 2022 at Sindh Institute of Oral Health Science during the 5th wave of Covid 19 pandemic, Omicron variant. Data was collected from 153 DHCPs from government sector university using a self-administered questionnaire, comprising of 20 closed ended question to assess the awareness and practice of cross infection protocols by DHCPs. Result(s): 98.7% of the participants were vaccinated against Covid 19. 96% of the participants used surgical gowns, face shields, and face masks as part of PPE during examining patients and while performing procedure. After treatment 99.3% of participants washed hands with hand wash, soap or used antiseptic solution. 77.1% of participants asked for Covid 19 test report and 68.6% of participants asked for proof of vaccination against covid 19 before treating patients. 96.1% of participants recommended disinfection of dental unit after every patient. 98% of participants changed glove after every patient. 88.2% of the participants said they would carry all elective and emergency procedures. Conclusion(s): The results of this study show that DHCPs practicing at government sector university have adequate knowledge regarding prevention of cross infection protocols and their importance to limit spread of infections. But their practice of prevention of cross infection during Covid 19 pandemic is not ideal as percentage of DHCPs requiring proof of vaccination or negative reports for Covid 19 were rather low and the percentage of DHCPs willing to carry elective procedures along with emergency ones was rather high.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Postcovid distant complications in periodontal tissues in individuals after inpatient treatment in the red zone

There are no data in the literature on long-term complications in periodontal tissues due to a coronavirus infection. The aim is to study postcovid complications arising in periodontal tissues in patients with general somatic pathology. Materials and methods. At the first stage, 296 patients were examined who were treated in hospitals for COVID-19 and 128 people — the comparison group — without concomitant pathology, who were divided into 6 age groups. The examination included measuring the microcirculation index (MI) and determining the degree of oxygenation in periodontal tissues according to Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) data. At the second stage, the same indicators were determined in 74 patients with complications after COVID-19 in the form of periodontitis, and an index evaluation of periodontal tissues was also performed: periodontal index (PI). The severity of periodontal pathology and the period of its occurrence were assessed depending on the age of patients, the effect of postcovid vasculitis on the state of the microcirculatory bed and the nature of the course of pathological processes in the periodontal. Dopplerograms revealed predictors of the development of severe periodontal pathology. Results. The integral microcirculation index and the level of oxygenation in the periodontium and on the phalanx of the finger in patients with COVID-19 undergoing inpatient treatment were statistically significantly lower than in patients of control groups. Against the background of improved microcirculation and oxygenation of periodontal tissues by 3 months after coronavirus infection, there is a decrease in PMA and PI indices. By the 6th and even more than the 9th month, the examined patients showed a drop in the indicators of regional blood flow and the level of tissue saturation against the background of an increase in the indices of PMA and PI. Conclusions. The greatest number of pathological processes in periodontal tissues occurred in the period from 6 to 9 months, the most pronounced in the age group of 65—80 years — 43.1%, 55—64 years — 41.3%, 45—54 years — in 31.3% of patients. In patients with severe hemorrhagic vasculitis (1.1%), the most pronounced changes in periodontal tissues were observed. In this category of patients, 3 months after the infection, there was a sharp development of rapidly progressive periodontopathy, and by the 9th month there was a complete loss of teeth. The severe form of hemorrhagic vasculitis was characterized by severe microcirculation disorders in periodontal tissues (PM=16.1±0.9). The indicators of microcirculation (PM) below 17.1 and hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) below 77.9 are predictors of the development of inflammatory changes in periodontal tissues. © 2023 Clinical Dentistry LLC. All rights reserved.

Chances and Challenges of Mobile Health in Public Health Dentistry

The future of healthcare delivery keeps evolving and mobile phone technology may have a huge role to play. Mobile health (mHealth) is a facet of Electronic Health (eHealth) that involves the use of mobile phones and other wireless devices in medical practice. The effectiveness of mHealth has been proven in different studies as well as in different aspects of medicine and dentistry. Text messaging has made significant progress in delivering health education for maintaining oral hygiene, especially for orthodontic patients as well as tobacco cessation counseling. Mobile phone applications incorporate various features like gaming, audio, and video messages to engage smokers in several behavioural change strategies. Mobile health technology has made an immense contribution to contact tracing, screening, and tele-consultation during the Novel Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandaemic. Given that mHealth is a low cost, easily accessible, and widely available means of communication, it has the potential to play a significant role in public health dentistry.

Problem Faced by Dental Patient during COVID - 19 Pandemic - A survey

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.

Role of telemedicine in anesthesia: Are we ready yet?

Telemedicine is a modality which utilizes technology to provide and support health care across large distances. It has redefined the practices of medicine in many specialties and continues to be a boon for clinicians on many frontiers. Its role in the branch of anesthesia remains largely unexplored but has shown to be beneficial in all the three phases: pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative. Now time has come that anesthesiologists across the globe reassess their strategies and utilize the telemedicine facilities in the field of anesthesia.Copyright © 2021 EDP Sciences. All rights reserved.

Medical Dental Integration in Wisconsin: Integrating dental hygienists into pediatric well child visits and prenatal care

Disparities exist in access to early oral health care, disproportionately impacting minority ethnic groups and populations with low socioeconomic status. Medical dental integration provides an opportunity to create a new dental access point for early prevention and intervention as well as care coordination. The Wisconsin Medical Dental Integration (WI-MDI) model expanded early access to preventive oral health services by integrating dental hygienists (DHs) into pediatric primary care and prenatal care teams to address oral health inequities with the goal of reducing dental disease. This case study will describe how DHs were incorporated into the medical care teams in Wisconsin and how legislation expanding scope of practice made this possible. Since 2019, five federally qualified health systems, one non-profit clinic, and two large health systems have enrolled in the WI-MDI project. Thirteen DHs have worked across nine clinics in the WI-MDI project and over 15,000 patient visits to a medical provider included oral health services provided by DHs from 2019 to 2023. Dental hygienists working in alternative practice models such as those demonstrated in the innovative WI-MDI approach are positioned to reduce oral health disparities through the provision of early and frequent dental prevention, intervention, and care coordination.

Empowering oral health in the community: leadership lessons learnt from redeployment

ContextOral health knowledge is fundamental to ensure all healthcare teams achieve holistic patient care within community settings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists were redeployed to district nursing teams to support wider healthcare service demands, where patients exhibited poor oral health and deficits in staff oral health knowledge were observed.During restoration and recovery of services, three post-graduate dental trainees launched a trust wide training needs analysis amongst non-dental professionals working across Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This identified a lack of confidence in providing mouthcare and oral health advice to patients. As a result, the team created the Oral Health Ambassador Programme, placing oral health leadership with local nursing team leads and providing the resources to champion oral health for patients in their care. Creation of an online training module supported a deficit in oral health training.Issue/ChallengeWorking within a domiciliary setting provided a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the challenges nursing teams face in providing oral health care to their patients. Leading in a novel environment meant incorporating oral health into a holistic care plan whilst overcoming the time restraints of an already stretched workforce during a global pandemic.Assessment of issue and analysis of its causesOn return to service, a trust wide oral health training needs analysis was created and distributed to all patient facing non-dental staff across BCHC. To maximise stakeholder engagement and response rate, promotion via trust publications and senior endorsement within each division was essential.The results of the training needs analysis were used to design a community specific oral health training package and led to the creation of the ‘Oral Health Ambassador' scheme. Results were disseminated alongside the launch of the training package to district nursing teams and presented regionally to 300 trust leaders at the senior leadership brief and to multidisciplinary colleagues at trust quality improvement forums.ImpactResults of the training needs analysis identified that 90% of respondents had concerns about patient oral health. Despite this, 68% had received no previous oral health training. The main barriers to provision of mouthcare and delivery of oral health advice were lack of training, time, insufficient patient cooperation and lack of equipment. A likert scale identified lower confidence levels in providing support for patients with learning difficulties or challenging behaviour and in accessing resources to support patients and families.InterventionThe Oral Health Ambassador scheme was created with the patient and healthcare provider at its core. The survey results provided key themes for learning which were used to divide the online learning into modules, making specific topics easily accessible. Dedicated time was provided to ensure training was part of the working day.To incorporate learning into their daily practice, a local lead was identified in each team as the Oral Health Ambassador, bridging the gap between dental and nursing teams and acting as a direct link for dental support within nursing teams. Oral Health Ambassadors are leading team training and raising resource awareness.Oral health boxes were created and delivered to teams providing an easily accessible wealth of oral resources for providers, patients and families. Equipment was included with information for use and adaptability for individual patient need.Involvement of stakeholders, such as patients, carers or family members:Stakeholder mapping included direct input from district nurses and Health Care Assistants. Piloting the scheme across a variety of sectors provided reassurance that the training would benefit all allied health professionals across the trust.Key MessagesCommunity healthcare staff have a unique opportunity to support oral health needs of vulnerable community patients. Redeployment provided a unique opportunity to lead in changes for oral health pr motion in the community and create local leads, Oral Health Ambassadors, that can continue to champion oral health post pandemic.Lessons learntWhilst dental teams took initial responsibility, passing this onto local leads will create key ambassadors within the teams, passionate about improving patient oral health and providing support for peers to do the same.Measurement of improvementPreliminary data taken from online learning pre-and-post knowledge survey shows an improvement in knowledge and increased confidence levels. Further feedback awaits.Strategy for improvementFollowing on from a successful launch of the scheme, the team suggests creation of an oral health mobile app would allow a wealth of up-to-date information, guidance and resources at the click of a finger.

Comparison of Methods of Assessment and Results of Traditional Osce with Electronic-Osce

Introduction: The onset and rise of COVID-19 and its sudden progression to a worldwide pandemic lead medical and dental institutes to change their way of teaching and conducting assessments to distance learning as compared to the previously applied conventional approaches. Teaching and assessment during this era have changed vastly, earlier it was solely traditional/live Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) but due to the current circumstances electronic/online OSCE (E-OSCE) method was introduced. In Pakistan also, Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) conducted online exams so that the scheduled exams do not get delayed. Aim(s): The main objective of this paper is to measure the reliability of an E-OSCE and to compare it with the traditional OSCE. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study which got conducted at the Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad. Traditional OSCEs and E-OSCEs were conducted with 71 participants including final year students and house officers. Each OSCEs had 10 stations, including one interactive station in traditional OSCE. Students' scores in both the OSCEs were collected and paired t-test was used to compare the mean scores at p<0.05. Result(s): Total number of house officers were 27 and final year students were 44. The scores of 71 participants were collected. The difference between mean scores of house officers' traditional OSCE and E-OSCE was statistically significant (p=0.000). The difference between final year students traditional OSCE and E-OSCE was also statistically significant (p=0.020). Finally, the overall difference between traditional OSCE and E-OSCE was also statistically significant (p=0.000) Practical implication: The main objective of this study was to assess the reliability of an E-OSCE and to compare whether the electronic method of conducting OSCE is more reliable than the traditional method of conducting OSCE. Conclusion(s): Despite limitations and the biases, the results of E-OSCE proved to be better than traditional OSCE. Further research needs to be conducted on E-OSCE to control the factors causing biases and limitations.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Preventive Measures and Spread of COVID-19 Infection among Dental students in Basra in the First Period of the Epidemic in Iraq: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey

This study was undertaken in the college of the Dentistry-University of Basra, Oral and maxillofacial surgery Department. This survey assessed protective measures regarding COVID-19 infection and aimed to evaluation the evidence on the affiliation between use of preventive measures and COVID-19 infection among dental students in Basra. The questionnaires were designed and assembled into two domains as follows: 1-Personal data including age, sex, and academic stage. 2-Analytical data including questions regarding infection rate among dental students and their commitment of COVID-19 preventive measures. An explanation for the aim of this study was coupled to the questionnaire, and the members were asked to sign an online informed permission. The questionnaires were directed toward 1000 dental students and only 875 were responding to the survey and included in the databank. The duration of study approximately takes 10 days, the questionnaire was conducted to students on February, 12th 2020 and the documents collecting were closed at (February, 22nd 2020). On the topic of preventive measures follow in order to avoid the dispersion of COVID-19 infection, an endemic feature of Corona virus disease has led to the deaths of thousands of individuals across several countries. For the prevention of the extent of the disease and its mortality, several preventive measures have been recommended. Conversely, the level of acquaintance and the implementation of such protective measures against COVID-19 among dental students in Basra which constitute vulnerable group are yet to be evaluated. Eight-hundred and seventy-fife questionnaires were analysed. Out of the 875 participants, (250) were males, and (675) were females. Two hundred and sixty-one (29.8%) participants had been infected with covid-19, and six hundred and fourteen (70%) were not being infected. Regarding the correlation between the infection with COVID-19 and the sex and college stage, consequently, no substantial statistical differences were detected between the males and females amongst COVID infected students. This survey demonstrated that the terms of self-protective means in addition to community disaffection will be considerably drops the statistics of dental student's COVID infections.Copyright © RJPT. All right reserved.

Oral cancer knowledge in adults evaluated through a phone survey in the context of SARS-COV2 pandemic

Introduction: Oral cancer is Colombia's 8th most common cancer, with an estimated survival rate of 52%. Lack of knowledge and awareness about oral cancer and its risk factors is associated with a delay in diagnosis. Objective(s): To evaluate adults' oral cancer knowledge through a phone survey in the context of the SARS-COV2 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted by phone during the COVID-19 pandemic on 268 patients attending at the dental school of Universidad de Antioquia, years 2020-2021. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Result(s): The mean age was 58.9 years. 58.6% of participants had heard about oral cancer. social media was the primary source of information for 42% of participants, and 96.7% considered the screening important. Most patients did not feel worried (54.5%), fearful (59.7%), or anxious (56.3%) in case they were submitted to a screening for early detection of oral cancer. Lower socioeconomic status and educational level are correlated with lower awareness of oral cancer. The dimensions of experience and attitude towards screening were not associated with sociodemographic variables. Conclusion(s): The knowledge of oral cancer is still poor and is related to low socioeconomic and educational levels. However, this association was not observed in the attitude and experience dimensions toward screening for oral cancer. Therefore, there seems to be a need for more educational programs about knowledge of oral cancer, especially in socially disadvantaged groups, considering that there are no barriers related to screening.

Evaluation of the bactericidal effect of UV-LED light on alginate impressions.

The oral cavity houses a large number of microorganisms that are potential pathogens, such as cytome-galovirus, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, human immuno-deficiency virus, mycobacterium tuberculosis and currently with the appearance of the SARS COV-2 that causes covid-19, the dental community must take stricter measures in its protection protocols against diseases. To evaluate its germicidal efficacy, ultraviolet light was applied with different exposure times on the alginate dental impressions, immediately after having taken the impression, which when it came into contact with the oral cavity of the patient is contaminated. As a result, a decrease in size and quantity of the bacterial colonies was observed in most of the samples in which the UV LED light was applied at 10 and 15 minutes of exposure. Some samples showed less bacterial growth even after 5 minutes of exposure. All this confirms its germicidal capacity thanks to its 245 nm ultraviolet spectrum that affects the DNA and RNA chain of microorganisms since it is the wavelength of maximum absorption of its molecule, eliminating its reproductive and survival capacity. The advantages it offers such as its small size, easy to handle and install, that it does not require constant maintenance, low acquisition cost;its constant high intensity light that does not generate any increase in temperature, makes it an excellent disinfectant auxiliary that can be incorporated into dental clinics.Copyright © 2023, Ediciones Avances S.L.. All rights reserved.

Dental Students' Perceptions Regarding Bioterrorism, a Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: During the COVID-19 outbreak, dental professionals have demonstrated their importance in combating mass casualty incidents. This study aimed to understand dental students' perceptions of their potential roles in a bioterrorism attack. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, which was sent to all dental students and interns at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess dental students' willingness to provide care during a bioterrorism attack, knowledge regarding bioterrorism and total number of roles a dentist should play during an attack. Results: This study included 472 dental students and interns. The mean knowledge score regarding bioterrorism was 3.3 +/- 1.9 out of 5. A large majority of the respondents (83.8%) were willing to provide care during a bioterrorism attack. Students with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 4.5-5 were more likely to indicate that a dental professional should take on more roles during a bioterrorism attack than those with a GPA of 2.5-2.99. Fourth- and fifth-year dental students had lower knowledge scores regarding bioterrorism than dental interns (B: -0.71;SE: 0.30;95% CI: -1.3-0.1 and B: -0.68;SE: 0.30;95% CI: -1.3- -0.1, respectively). Conclusion: Despite the fact that dental curricula do not cover topics related to bioterrorism, most students would be willing to provide care under bioterrorism conditions. There is wide agreement among the students regarding the need to add bioterrorism-related educations to dental curricula.

DESIGN OF MARKETING PLAN FOR DENTAL HOSPITALS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Background: The development of the digital world has snowballed since the 2000s and has accelerated since the 2010s. Social media is a part of everyday life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant catalyst for digital life. Despite this, the healthcare industry is lagging compared to other industries in terms of digital marketing. Aims: The output of this research is a design of a digital marketing plan for a dental hospital based on a robust theoretical foundation and ongoing practical research in dental hospitals. Methods: This study utilized a qualitative approach and descriptive method to describe the existing condition related to the challenges and the use of digital marketing in dental hospitals. The focus of this study was the development of a digital marketing plan for a dental hospital. Results: The study obtained several data related to digital marketing activities that have been carried out, challenges in digital marketing, and the preparation of digital marketing development plans at dental hospitals. Conclusion: The proposed model includes situation analysis, goal analysis, strategy planning, action, and control based on the existing marketing plan. A novelty in this model emphasizes technology components including technoware, hardware, software, infoware, humanware, and organiware. © 2022, Airlangga University. All rights reserved.

Effect of Vocal Anesthesia on Adult Dental Patients during Covid-19 pandemic period

BACKGROUND: Pain is as a major concern with dental patients. The dentist-patient interaction can reveal the presence of anxiety and fear, which may result in rise of pain. This study aimed to assess vocabulary communication as support to dental anesthesia on the adult dental patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized clinical study, conducted from February 2020 through March 2021. Two hundred individuals (112 males, 88 females) of the age range (16 to 84 years) were separated into two groups for testing the level of pain during dental local anesthesia, with vocal communication and without vocal communication. RESULTS: While the control group showed no difference between males and females, there was a difference between the sexes in the experimental group with past dental visits, VAS and injection type having less anxiety (p=0.0001) while with education/VAS having (p£0.01) as appear in sex to age (p£0.05). There was no difference when data were compared by age, or type of anesthesia (inferior alveolar nerve block or infiltration technique). CONCLUSION: Dental anxiety can be alleviated by talking to the patients before the procedure, which could reduce the amount of pain. © 2023 University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 pandemic and impact on dental education: perception of Brazilian dental students

Aim: The aim of the present study is to assess the perception of undergraduate students on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Brazilian dental education. Methods: This crosssectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire hosted in Google Forms platform and publicized on Instagram® and Facebook®. The questionnaire was available between July 8-27, 2020. Absolute and relative frequencies were obtained for variables of interest using Pearson's chi-squared and considering 95% confidence intervals. Prevalence of learning resource variables according to self-reported skin color, educational institution, and Brazilian region were presented using equiplots. Results: A total of 1,050 undergraduate dental students answered the questionnaire. Most students reported being in full-distance learning mode. Among the undergraduate students, 65.4% reported perceiving a very high impact in dental education, and 16.6% of students reported not being able to follow distance learning. In addition, 14% reported not having a personal laptop or desktop to study with, with this condition being more prevalent among non-white than white individuals. Conclusion: We conclude that Brazilian dental students perceived a high impact of COVID-19 on dental education, as well as one-sixth of the students reported not having adequate resources to continue with distance learning. It is important that different policies are developed at the institutional and governmental levels to reduce the impact of the pandemic on dental education

COVID-19 outbreak journey of dental care workers: A systematic review.

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.