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

Abstract

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.

Assessing the Compliance of Dental Clinicians towards Regulatory Infection Control Guidelines Using a Newly Developed Survey Tool: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study in India

“…Similarly, items on the use of PPE (for non-aerosol procedures), the use of dedicated bins/trolleys or bags for transporting waste to a site, the use of fumigation, and the use of rubber dams for preventing cross-infections received lower mean scores. These findings were consistent with the results of a study by Shenoy and others, who found that a lower proportion (35.9%) of their participants did not use rubber dams [ 54 ]. The poor use of rubber dams by dentists in India has been reported previously, where the lack of training, time taken for placement, and added cost represented the reported barriers to their use [ 64 ].…”

“…The current study demonstrated the process of developing a new instrument to evaluate the adherence of dental practitioners to the guidelines provided by the DCI. Previous studies analyzed the knowledge, preparedness, and attitude of dental clinicians towards the COVID-19 pandemic; however, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a survey tool to measure the uptake of the recommended guidelines (instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic) by dental clinicians is currently lacking [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ].…”

Prevention and control of COVID-19 infection at the community health center during the new normal era

“…1 This finding differs from Neetha's research from India, where the majority of health facilities give a separate waiting area before entering the dental facility. 18 The protocol, termed clean water management, has been followed during the preparatory stage of implementation. Air regulation and space management arrangements remain at 50% on average.…”

“…With the difference, Bandung city dentists did not continuously hold teledentistry. 18 The community health center offers tele-dentistry through a helpline for dental and oral health services.…”

The Investigation of Clinical Guidelines and Standards on Infection Control in Specialized Dental Departments

“…Disease transmission can easily occur in dental clinics. Thus, prevention of cross-infection is imperative [1]. Dental clinicians and the staff are in close contact with patients and at risk of a wide range of infectious diseases from a simple cold to more serious conditions such as herpes, hepatitis, AIDS, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [2].…”