Dentistry Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Among the Saudi Arabian Dental Students

Abstract

Background: The recent pandemic outbreak has created a huge impact on dentistry. Dental students and dental professionals are at a higher risk because dental practice comprises close communication and widespread exposure to blood, saliva, and other body fluids. It is imperative to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) among budding dentists.Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of dental students regarding dental practices during COVID-19.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among undergraduate students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire consisting of demographic, knowledge, and attitude-based questions were circulated among the study population, and the responses for the knowledge and attitude were scored. Their mean scores were then calculated. Chi-square test and nonparametric tests were computed using SPSS version 21 software, and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: 388 undergraduate dental students have participated in the study from Saudi Arabia. 68% of the respondents believed that they had sufficient knowledge regarding COVID-19. The mean score for knowledge was 5.84 out of 7. Females (6.24) scored statistically significantly higher than males (5.55, p < = 0.001). The mean attitude score was 6.34 out of 9. 93% were using PPE models, while 95% maintained social distancing. Out of all the participating dental students, only 16% were willing to treat patients during the pandemic, and 28% did not want to treat patients, 28% preferred teledentistry. The majority (44%) of dental undergraduates were willing to handle only emergency cases.Conclusion: Accurate knowledge and attitude regarding COVID-19 and diversified opinion on preventive practices during the pandemic period among budding dental professionals evident from Saudi Arabia. Mixed opinions were witnessed among them in seeking help from professional societies. The majority of dental undergraduates were willing to handle only emergency cases.

Knowledge, Protective Behaviors and Risk Perception of COVID-19 among Dental Students in India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

“…Our study found a higher score among postgraduate students than undergraduates, because clinical students rely more on science-based resources, such as the Ministry of Health rather than social media [43]. There were significant differences found in the COVID-19 knowledge and protective behaviors among clinical and preclinical students, and the results were consistent other studies that were conducted in Turkey, China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Nigeria [18,30,[43][44][45][46]. The lower knowledge scores among undergraduate students highlight the need to refine the current dental curriculum, including infectious diseases epidemiology and control practices.…”

“…Continuous education and assessment in the clinical setting may aid in improving the learning outcomes [47]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of practical training among students emerged as a concern, which can be addressed through new technological innovations [46][47][48][49][50]. Educators need to be trained for adopting new virtual platforms of teaching, which could be used in the future crisis.…”

“…Educators need to be trained for adopting new virtual platforms of teaching, which could be used in the future crisis. In addition, dental operatories need to be observed for the safety of patients as well as dental professionals [46][47][48][49][50]. In addition, future studies can be conducted to investigate the adherence of healthcare professionals with the recommended infection control practices.…”

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Knowledge, Perception and Attitudes of Dentistry Students in Austria: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…10,16,17 Our study is the first to examine the knowledge and perception on COVID-19 of dentistry students in Austria, and one of a few international surveys to focus on questioning dentistry students. [18][19][20] This study sought to provide an overview of the student's perceptions of the novel virus and attitudes to infection control shortly after the first implemented lockdown by the Austrian government. Dentistry students in their clinical courses are in direct contact with patients and therefore at a higher risk to get infected with COVID-19 due to work with rotative instruments and aerosol build up.…”

Perceived Stress in Dentists and Dental Students of Latin America and the Caribbean during the Mandatory Social Isolation Measures for the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, some studies have mentioned that adherence to biosafety protocols by dental health professionals is high [ 6 ]. The relationship of other variables and conditions related to the pandemic cannot be ignored, among which could be mentioned the level of knowledge about COVID-19, preventive behaviors and practices as well as the availability of training courses for the management of this pandemic in dentist and dental students [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”