Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices among dental practitioners on methods of infection control while carrying out dental procedures during novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: dental procedures produce bio-aerosols that can carry the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. Hence, the entire dental care team has to follow the current COVID-19 related infection control protocols. The study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with infection control methods during dental procedures among dental practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. METHODS: the online questionnaire consisted of four sections namely, demographic details, eight questions on knowledge, four questions on attitude and eight questions on the practice of dentists during COVID-19 pandemic. One point was attributed for a correct response and zero point for an incorrect response. The study used descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models in Jamovi 1.8.1 to establish relationships between knowledge, attitude, and practices among dental professionals and their demographic characteristics. RESULTS: among 384 dentists, 294 (76.6%) were aware of the hand hygiene methods, 372 dentists (96.9%) were aware of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 343 dentists (89.3%) recorded the body temperature of the patients. One hundred and thirty eight (138) dentists (35.9%) did not use rubber dam and 158 dentists (41.1%) were not aware of the four-handed dentistry. Among the study participants, 57.8% displayed adequate knowledge, 63.8% possessed good attitude and 93.5% followed good practices on COVID-19 appropriate infection control measures during dental procedures. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were found to be 6.61, 2.04, and 3.38 respectively. Based on multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, it is observed that males (aOR: 0.55, 95% CI 0.35-0.87; p=0.011) have a lower likelihood of having a good knowledge when compared with females after adjusting for the other independent variables in the model. Also, individuals with higher qualifications (aOR: 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.92; p=0.022) appear to have lower likelihood of having good knowledge on COVID-19 infection control methods during dental procedure. CONCLUSION: the study concludes that participants possess sound knowledge, attitude and practice on hand hygiene, PPE, patient triage and waiting area modifications at the workplace. However, poor response was noted on the use of rubber dam, remote telephonic screening and four-handed dentistry practice.

Oral health services during COVID-19: screening, triaging and reception (video 1 of 3)

This short video describes recommendations from the World Health Organization for the screening, triaging and reception of people seeking oral health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explains step-by-step the measures that should be in place to ensure appropriate and effective care for patients while protecting both patients and personnel from COVID-19 infection. The video is primarily intended for use in trainings for oral health teams on infection prevention and control. More generally, target audiences are public health authorities, in particular those responsible for oral health, and oral health-care personnel undertaking or assisting in the procedures described, working in both the public and private sectors. People considering making an appointment for oral health and dental care may also find it useful as a reference for the practices that they should expect to see in oral and dental health-care centres during the pandemic and beyond.

Oral health services during COVID-19: protecting patients and personnel during treatment (video 2)

This short video explains World Health Organization recommendations for protecting both patients and oral health-care personnel from infection with the COVID-19 virus during oral health and dental treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video is primarily intended for use in trainings for oral health teams on infection prevention and control. More generally, target audiences are public health authorities, in particular those responsible for oral health, and oral health-care personnel undertaking or assisting in the procedures described, working in both the public and private sectors. People considering making an appointment for oral health and dental care may also find it useful as a reference for the practices that they should expect to see in oral and dental health-care centres during the pandemic and beyond.

Oral health services during COVID-19: cleaning, disinfection and sterilization procedures (video 3)

This short video explains World Health Organization recommendations for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization procedures that should be in place in oral health-care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The procedures are designed to protect both patients and oral health-care personnel from infection with the COVID-19 virus. The video is primarily intended for use in trainings for oral health teams on infection prevention and control. More generally, target audiences are public health authorities, in particular those responsible for oral health, and oral health-care personnel undertaking or assisting in the procedures described, working in both the public and private sectors. People considering making an appointment for oral health and dental care may also find it useful as a reference for the practices that they should expect to see in oral and dental health-care centres during the pandemic and beyond.

Protocolo APS comentado: saúde bucal

Série de Aulas Virtuais - Protocolo APS Comentado. Protocolo APS Comentado - Saúde Bucal.

Saúde Bucal em tempos de pandemia

O Debate Virtual do Conass desta sexta-feira (02/10), às 16h30, irá apresentar experiências exitosas de municípios brasileiros na estruturação dos serviços de Saúde Bucal e discutir desafios e caminhos na organização dos serviços odontológicos em rede. O objetivo é apoiar profissionais e gestores na estruturação das ações e dos serviços de Saúde Bucal, buscando responder de forma efetiva à pandemia de Covid-19, o que tem sido um grande desafio. A organização do cuidado em Saúde Bucal, em todos os níveis de atenção, também é profundamente afetada nesse cenário, uma vez que uma das principais via de transmissão do vírus é a saliva e os procedimentos odontológicos, por sua natureza, apresentam elevado potencial de contaminação cruzada entre usuários e profissionais. É necessário cuidar e proteger a população e também os profissionais de saúde. O Guia Orientador para Enfrentamento da Covid-19 na Rede de Atenção à Saúde, elaborado conjuntamente pelo Conass e o Conasems, apresenta orientações para apoiar profissionais e gestores de saúde bucal da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) na organização do cuidado aos usuários. Este encontro virtual contará com a participação do coordenador de Saúde Bucal de Caxias, Maranhão, Thiago Henrique Gonçalves Moreira; da coordenadora de Saúde Bucal de Mairi, Bahia, Caroline Santos Figueiredo; e do facilitador da Planificação da Atenção à Saúde do Conass, Wagner Fulgêncio Elias. Os debatedores serão o assessor técnico do Conasems, Rodrigo Lacerda; e a coordenadora geral de saúde bucal do Ministério da Saúde, Caroline Martins José dos Santos. A mediação do debate será feita pela assessora técnica do Conass, Maria José Evangelista.

Dental Health Services Response to COVID-19 in Norway.

We aimed to investigate the management of urgent dental care, the perception of risk and workplace preparedness among dental staff in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. An electronic questionnaire regarding the strictest confinement period in Norway (13 March-17 April 2020) was distributed to dental staff. Among the 1237 respondents, 727 (59%) treated patients, of whom 170 (14%) worked in clinics designated to treat patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. Out of them 88% (143) received training and 64% (103) simulation in additional infection prevention procedures, while 27 (24%) respondents reported deviation. In total, 1051 (85%) respondents perceived that dental staff had a high risk of being infected, 1039 (84%) that their workplace handled the current situation well, 767 (62%) that their workplace had adequate infection control equipment and 507 (41%) agreed that their workplace is well equipped to handle an escalation. Before an appointment, 1182 (96%) respondents always/often inquired per phone information if a patient experienced symptoms of COVID-19, and 1104 (89%) asked about a history of travel to affected areas. Twice as many patients on average per week were treated by phone than in a clinic. A lower proportion of dental staff in high incidence counties applied additional infection prevention measures compared to low and medium incidence counties. To conclude, urgent dental health care was managed relatively well in Norway. Additional training of the dental staff in adequate infection prevention and step-by-step procedures may be needed. These results may be used to improve the dental health service's response to future outbreaks.

Oral health policymaking challenges in Iran: a qualitative approach.

BACKGROUND: As the strategies proposed for oral health improvement in developed countries are not adapted for developing ones, this study aimed to identify the challenges of oral health policy implementation in Iran as a low-income developing country. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted in 2019 in Iran as a middle-eastern developing country. The study population consisted of experts who had experience in oral health and were willing to participate in the study. Snowball sampling was used to select 12 participants for semi-structured interviews and saturation was achieved after 16 interviews. Guba and Lincoln criteria including credibility, transferability, confirmability and dependability were used to determine reliability and transparency, and finally a five-step framework analysis method was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The analysis of the interviews resulted in identification of 7 main themes that were categorized into 5 problems of policy implementation as proposed by the Matus framework. The main themes of executive and preventive challenges to implement oral health policies were categorized as organizational problems, the main themes of educational and resource challenges were situated as material problems, and the main themes of insurance, policy making and trusteeship challenges were considered as legal, policymaking and perspective. CONCLUSION: The implementation of oral health policies has faced some challenges. It seems that the national coverage of oral health and integration of these services in prevention and serious attention to the private sector can be considered as the most important strategies for achieving improved oral health in Iran.

Impact of teleconsultations on the conduct of oral health teams in the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme.

Telehealth has been applied in the Unified Health System (SUS) as a tool for qualifying professionals and improving the healthcare provided to the population served by the system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of teleconsultations on the qualifications of the clinical approach of the oral health teams involved in primary health care (PHC) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul under the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme. The sample population of the study was composed of 285 dentists and 132 oral health assistants belonging to the Family Health Teams. A chi-square test was used to investigate possible associations between the absolute number of teleconsultations performed and several independent variables, namely, gender, age, dental specialty, time since graduation, time working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), employment status, type of training institution, familiarity with information technology, and work satisfaction at the health facility. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Use of the oral health teleconsultation service led to a reduction of more than 45% in the number of referrals to other levels of care. However, no significant association was found between the number of teleconsultations and the independent variables analysed. The use of teleconsultations proved to be a powerful tool for professional training, for increasing the effectiveness of PHC, and for improving the oral healthcare provided.

Impact of teleconsultations on the conduct of oral health teams in the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme

Abstract Telehealth has been applied in the Unified Health System (SUS) as a tool for qualifying professionals and improving the healthcare provided to the population served by the system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of teleconsultations on the qualifications of the clinical approach of the oral health teams involved in primary health care (PHC) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul under the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme. The sample population of the study was composed of 285 dentists and 132 oral health assistants belonging to the Family Health Teams. A chi-square test was used to investigate possible associations between the absolute number of teleconsultations performed and several independent variables, namely, gender, age, dental specialty, time since graduation, time working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), employment status, type of training institution, familiarity with information technology, and work satisfaction at the health facility. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Use of the oral health teleconsultation service led to a reduction of more than 45% in the number of referrals to other levels of care. However, no significant association was found between the number of teleconsultations and the independent variables analysed. The use of teleconsultations proved to be a powerful tool for professional training, for increasing the effectiveness of PHC, and for improving the oral healthcare provided.

An Evidence-Based Approach to Outcome Measurement in Oral and Dental Health Services: Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Oral Health Impact.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQOL) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) of oral and dental health patients in terms of gender, educational status, and the reason for coming to the oral health center. Also, we investigated the relationships between OHRQOL and OHIP. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted and planned for dental patients in Turkey. OHRQOL-United Kingdom (OHRQOL-UK) and OHIP-14 were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, student t-tests, and ANOVA were used for data analyses. RESULTS: Of 527 respondents, 62.8% were female, and 37.2% were male. One-hundred-forty-one (26.8%) participants were illiterate. Three-hundred-fifty-four (67.20%) dental patients had an elementary school degree. Only 32 (6.10%) participants graduated from college and bachelor programs. For dimensions of the OHIP-14 and OHRQOL-UK, we detected statistically significant differences in personal characteristics. We found that gender, marital status, age, education status, and reasons for coming to the hospital have a significant impact on OHRQOL and OHIP. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: These results are expected to provide important evidence-based information to health managers and decision-makers in health planning and reimbursement policies. Clinicians and health managers should use OHIP, quality of life (QOL), and evidence-based practice to determine individual treatments and approaches to improve oral health. QOL is an outcome indicator in healthcare services and evidence-based practice. Measurements of evidence-based health outcomes in national health systems can be made, and global comparisons and policies in oral and dental health can be developed.

Evaluation of the quality of oral health care in Primary Health Care in Pernambuco, Brazil, 2014. / Avaliação da qualidade da assistência em saúde bucal na Atenção Primária à Saúde em Pernambuco, 2014.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the quality of oral health care in Primary Health Care services in Pernambuco state, Brazil, 2014. METHODS: this was an ecological health evaluation study based on the Donabedian model, involving secondary data from the 2nd cycle of the National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Health Care (PMAQ-AB); comparison between the structure, process and outcome variables was done using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.050); variables showing statistical significance (p<0.05) were portrayed through thematic and spatial dependence maps. Results: the standard of quality in the municipalities for the 'Structure' dimension gained better scores than the 'Work process' dimension; correlations were identified between the indicators for dental urgency, supervised tooth brushing coverage and treatments completed, in quality strata related to the work process of the Oral Health teams. CONCLUSION: organization of the work process was seen to be a determining factor in the impact on some indicators of service use.

[Primary dental healthcare in Brazil: the work process of oral health teams]. / Atenção primária à saúde bucal no Brasil: processo de trabalho das equipes de saúde bucal.

Ensuring access to dental care services requires the development of healthsurveillance practices to ensure comprehensive health care. The objective of this study was toinvestigate the association between social and economic indicators of Brazilian municipalities, work process characteristics, and performance of a list of curative dental procedures by oral health teams. It involved an exploratory, cross-sectional study withmulticenter data collection from 11,374 oral health teams assessed by the National Program for Improvement of Access to and Quality of Primary Healthcare. Multilevel Poisson regression was used to obtain the prevalence of curative dental procedures, which was 69.51%. The social/economic and work variables that remained associated with the outcome included municipalities in which the proportion of primary care-sensitive admissions was below 28% and that of tooth extractions below 8%; and oral health teams classified as type II (including oral health assistant and technician) that had different materials available and better work processes. This multilevel analysis, which took into consideration the performance of curative dental care in Brazil, reveals a worrying oral healthcare scenario.

A garantia de atenção odontológica passa pelo desenvolvimento de práticas pautadas na vigilância em saúde, a fim de concretizar a integralidade. Objetivou-se avaliar a associação entre aspectos contextuais dos municípios brasileiros, características do processo de trabalho e a realização de um rol de procedimentos odontológicos curativos pelas equipes de saúde bucal (ESB). Trata-se de estudo exploratório transversal cuja coleta multicêntrica de dados se deu em 11.374 ESB avaliadas pelo Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica. Foi empregada regressão de Poisson multinível para obtenção da prevalência de realização de procedimentos odontológicos curativos, que foi de 69,51%. As variáveis contextuais e da equipe de saúde que se mantiveram associadas ao desfecho incluíram municípios cuja proporção de internações sensíveis à atenção básica foi menor que 28% e cuja proporção de exodontias foi menor que 8%; bem como ESB de modalidade II que tinham à disposição materiais, insumos e melhores processos de trabalho. Esta análise multinível, que considera o desempenho da atenção odontológica curativa no Brasil, aponta para um cenário de atenção odontológica preocupante.

Atenção primária à saúde bucal no Brasil: processo de trabalho das equipes de saúde bucal / Primary dental healthcare in Brazil: the work process of oral health teams

Resumo A garantia de atenção odontológica passa pelo desenvolvimento de práticas pautadas na vigilância em saúde, a fim de concretizar a integralidade. Objetivou-se avaliar a associação entre aspectos contextuais dos municípios brasileiros, características do processo de trabalho e a realização de um rol de procedimentos odontológicos curativos pelas equipes de saúde bucal (ESB). Trata-se de estudo exploratório transversal cuja coleta multicêntrica de dados se deu em 11.374 ESB avaliadas pelo Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica. Foi empregada regressão de Poisson multinível para obtenção da prevalência de realização de procedimentos odontológicos curativos, que foi de 69,51%. As variáveis contextuais e da equipe de saúde que se mantiveram associadas ao desfecho incluíram municípios cuja proporção de internações sensíveis à atenção básica foi menor que 28% e cuja proporção de exodontias foi menor que 8%; bem como ESB de modalidade II que tinham à disposição materiais, insumos e melhores processos de trabalho. Esta análise multinível, que considera o desempenho da atenção odontológica curativa no Brasil, aponta para um cenário de atenção odontológica preocupante.

Abstract Ensuring access to dental care services requires the development of healthsurveillance practices to ensure comprehensive health care. The objective of this study was toinvestigate the association between social and economic indicators of Brazilian municipalities, work process characteristics, and performance of a list of curative dental procedures by oral health teams. It involved an exploratory, cross-sectional study withmulticenter data collection from 11,374 oral health teams assessed by the National Program for Improvement of Access to and Quality of Primary Healthcare. Multilevel Poisson regression was used to obtain the prevalence of curative dental procedures, which was 69.51%. The social/economic and work variables that remained associated with the outcome included municipalities in which the proportion of primary care-sensitive admissions was below 28% and that of tooth extractions below 8%; and oral health teams classified as type II (including oral health assistant and technician) that had different materials available and better work processes. This multilevel analysis, which took into consideration the performance of curative dental care in Brazil, reveals a worrying oral healthcare scenario.

A satisfação profissional de cirurgiões-dentistas da atenção básica em um município no sul do Brasil com diretrizes municipais de saúde bucal / The professional satisfaction of primary health care dentists in a city in southern Brazil with municipal oral health guidelines

Objetivo: identificar a satisfação profissional de cirurgiões-dentistas atuantes na atenção básica do Sistema Único de Saúde em um município do sul do Brasil, que foi pioneiro na implantação de diretrizes municipais de saúde bucal. Sujeitos e método: para a coleta dos dados, foram utilizados componentes descritivos a partir de dados secundários obtidos por meio de um questionário aplicado para todos os cirurgiões-dentistas atuantes no referido serviço. Resultados: no total, 46 profissionais foram incluídos na amostra, sendo que 82,5% estavam satisfeitos em seu trabalho e, desses, o reconhecimento dos usuários do serviço foi o fator que os cirurgiões-dentistas mais associaram à felicidade. Já os fatores mais relacionados à infelicidade no trabalho são as críticas ao salário e os usuários não colaboradores; 97,8% acreditavam que seu trabalho fazia diferença na comunidade em que estavam inseridos. Conclusão: este estudo sugere que estabelecer diretrizes no processo de trabalho pode ter um impacto positivo na prática e na satisfação dos profissionais, e essas estratégias podem ser utilizadas como amparo para planejamento em gestão de saúde bucal de forma sistematizada. (AU)

Objective: to identify the professional satisfaction of dentists working in the primary health care of the public health system, in a city in southern Brazil, which was a pioneer for implementing municipal oral health guidelines. Subjects and method: the data were collected by descriptive components from secondary data obtained through a questionnaire applied to all dentists working in the referred service. Results: a total of 46 professionals were included in the sample, whereas 82.5% were satisfied with their work, and the acknowledgment from service users was the factor that these professionals mostly associated with happiness. On the other hand, the factors most associated with unhappiness in the workplace are complaints of low wages and uncooperative patients. In addition, 97.8% of the professionals believed that their work made a difference in the community in which they were inserted. Conclusion: this study suggests that establishing guidelines in the work process may have a positive impact on the practice and the professional satisfaction and that these strategies may be used as a planning support for the systemic management of oral health. (AU)

Assessment, Education, and Access: Kona Hawai'i WIC Oral Health Pilot Project.

The Kona WIC oral health pilot project was developed to assess the oral health beliefs and behaviors of parents of children and pregnant women at the Kona WIC site and to demonstrate the ease of providing oral health education to families in order to improve oral health behaviors. Data were collected from 50 families about the oral health behaviors and dental care of a total of 73 children, including 5 pregnant women, four of whom had a child enrolled in WIC and one pregnant woman without any previous children. Data revealed that 68% of children with teeth had been seen by a dentist within 6 to 12 months of the study visit. Mothers were seen less often, with 55% stating that they had not been seen for a dental visit for over one year. Parental knowledge about the effects of fluoride on teeth was limited; however, 90% of the parents would allow fluoride varnish applied to their child's teeth, 88% would give daily fluoride drops/tablets to their child, and 78% would support water fluoridation if it would help to improve their children's oral health. Additionally, for children old enough to receive fluoride supplementation, 60% were not given a prescription by their health care providers, and 58% had not received any fluoride varnish applications. By offering oral health education in a WIC clinic and assisting clients to seek out comprehensive care within a dental home, children and caregivers can be provided essential education and resources early in a child's life or women's pregnancies to reduce poor oral health outcomes.

Interprofessional education in dentistry.

A collaborative health workforce is required to respond to the increasing demands on healthcare resources. Various national and international bodies are promoting interprofessional education (IPE) as a method to provide this collaborative health workforce. IPE is therefore becoming increasingly prominent within healthcare training and will be an essential aspect of dental education. A literature search was completed to provide this narrative review which will introduce IPE, discuss the rationale for IPE within dentistry and the challenges faced. Based on current literature, it will provide practical advice on how to implement an effective IPE learning activity within dentistry.

[The analysis of the judicial practice of treating the civil lawsuits concerning the inadequate dental health service appeals launched by the patients in the Russian Federation during the period from 1993 to 2017]. / Analiz sudebnoi praktiki po grazhdanskim delam, sviazannym s defektami okazaniia stomatologicheskoi pomoshchi naseleniiu Rossiiskoi Federatsii za period s 1993 po 2017 g.

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the characteristic features and peculiarities in the dynamic of the civil legal proceedings concerning the quality of the stomatological aid to the population of the Russian Federation during the period from 1993 to 2017. We have undertaken the analysis of the official sources containing the court reports on the statements of claim launched by the patients. The study gave evidence of the currently well apparent sustained tendency toward the increase in the number of such civil lawsuits. The probabilities of legal proceedings in connection with the unfavourable outcomes of the dental treatment are roughly identical in all areas of the stomatological practice. The maximum number of the respective civil lawsuits arise from the claims of the patients against the dental surgeons employed by the healthcare settings designated as the limited liability companies. The majority of the statements of case coming from the patients contain the demanding financial claims for the compensation of the moral damage. It is concluded that the aforementioned tendencies in the strategy of the development of the stomatological aid for the population of the Russian Federation dictate the necessity of the priority development of the quality standards (including the clinical guidelines, protocols, etc.) designed to improve the medical assistance for the patients presenting with dental problems, the modernization of the validated methods for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the stomatological aid for the population, the implementation of the measures needed to introduce the mechanisms of professional liability insurance into the routine stomatological practice. These measures are believed to allow to meet the demand of the population of this country for the high-quality stomatological services.

Using motion capture technology to measure the effects of magnification loupes on dental operator posture: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Motion analysis has great potential for quantitatively evaluating dental operator posture and the impact of interventions such as magnification loupes on posture and subsequent development of musculoskeletal disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the feasibility of motion capture technology for measurement of dental operator posture and examine the impact that different styles of magnification loupes had on dental operator posture. METHODS: Forward and lateral head flexion were measured for two different operators while completing a periodontal probing procedure. Each was measured while wearing magnification loupes (flip up-FL and through the lens-TTL) and basic safety lenses. RESULTS: Operators both exhibited reduced forward flexion range of motion (ROM) when using loupes (TTL or FL) compared to a baseline lens (BL). In contrast to forward flexion, no consistent trends were observed for lateral flexion between subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The researchers can report that it is possible to measure dental operator posture using motion capture technology. More study is needed to determine which type of magnification loupes (FL or TTL) are superior in improving dental operator posture. Some evidence was found supporting that the quality of operator posture may more likely be related to the use of magnification loupes, rather than the specific type of lenses worn.