A Survey on the Patients' Outlook Towards Dental Treatment During the Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Period

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily lives and affected the entire healthcare system, including dental treatment. Efforts have been taken to formulate ways to counter the pandemic. Dental practices have adopted modifications of dental protocols with the incorporation of preventive measures. The aim of this survey was to study the patient outlook towards dental treatment and the awareness of patients about the preventive measures provided by their dentists in the post-Covid era. Hence a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients wanting to undergo dental treatments in the US, UK and India with a total of 121 participants per country during post covid pandemic. The study was conducted using a questionnaire prepared by the researcher, which consisted of 22 questions. The results showed that pain was the main reason for dental visits in all three countries. In the US and UK, a large percentage of people preferred video and teleconsulting even in the post-covid period, while in India, the majority preferred personal dental visits. The trend of avoiding dental treatment was widespread in India, displaying the level of ignorance and financial constraints among them. It indicates the need for better awareness about the importance of oral health and the inclusion of dental insurance schemes.