Knowledge and Practice of COVID-19 Infection Control Among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Introduction:To assess the knowledge and practice of dental students and interns regarding coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on academic level and university. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among interns and dental students using self-administered, structured questionnaire regarding knowledge and clinical practice with respect to COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A total of 126 completed questionnaires were received. A majority of the study participants (98.4%) stated they were aware of the COVID-19 infection control policies. Most participants (83.3%) had attended training or lectures about COVID-19. Most of them stated that the N59 mask is the best mask against the disease (81.7%). Significant variations between academic years and genders were revealed regarding the clinical practice. Uncertainty existed regarding quarantining, preprocedural mouth wash, and handwashing versus desensitizing. Conclusion:The level of knowledge of the participants was reasonable. Areas of deficiency in knowledge were observed among junior dental students. Further training in infection control measures and formulation of new guidelines are recommended to increase the knowledge and preparation of dental students regarding COVID-19 in dental settings, as well as reduce the transmission of infection.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Dental Students on COVID-19: A Survey Study from Türkiye

“…A recent survey reported that 73.9%, 95.1%, and 98.4% of the dental students had positive attitudes towards infection control practices against COVID-19, respectively. [16][17][18] Respondents of the present survey generally stated that they get information about COVID-19 from social media, TV, and newspapers. Social media was similarly one of the most popular answers in surveys conducted in India and Nigeria.…”

“…The questions were based on information collected from the recent literature about COVID-19. [15][16][17][18][19][20] If one or more questions were left unanswered, except question 17B, an error message was sent to the participants to ensure that all questions were completed. To facilitate the collection of unbiased data, participants were informed that the questionnaire was completely anonymous and the identity of the participant was not linked to individual responses.…”

“…Different national results have been reported from India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Austria, and Croatia regarding knowledge and attitudes about COVID-19. [15][16][17][18][19][20] The purpose of this study was to further evaluate undergraduate dental students' knowledge and attitudes about COVID-19 from different Turkish universities and the effect of their clinical experience on their attitudes.…”

Assessment of dental students' knowledge of infection control and prevention during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Aljarbou et al 18 practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. 19 The described studies, TA B L E 3 Self-estimated knowledge and importance given to different protocols of the guidelines for dental practices by respondents.…”

Conocimientos de COVID-19 en estudiantes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de El Salvador, 2020

“…Se consideró importante la evaluación de las medidas de prevención y si los estudiantes manejan un adecuando conocimiento sobre su aplicación, se mostró en este estudio que los estudiantes conocen correctamente las medidas de prevención más efectivas contra el COVID-19, congruente con esto, un estudio multinacional realizado en estudiantes de odontología en Pakistán, India y Arabia Saudita, evidenció que poseen una adecuada información sobre los aspectos preventivos del COVID-19 19 Así mismo, diferentes países en el mundo como Nigeria, Mumbai, Arabia Saudita y otros consideraron importante la evaluación de conocimientos sobre la enfermedad COVID-19 [20][21][22][23] , sin embargo, a nivel latinoamericano son escasos los estudios de este tipo, a pesar de su importancia para identificar puntos débiles y su posterior refuerzo y de esta manera garantizar que los estudiantes en sus prácticas clínicas de pregrado, eviten la contaminación cruzada y el esparcimiento de la enfermedad.…”