The New Normalcy in Dentistry after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Italian Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Background: After the first lockdown, Italian dentists resumed their practice while handling several challenges. Reducing contagion risk by complying with the stringent measures recommended by the Italian Ministry of Health for dental activity while also balancing patient needs was a difficult task. This work aims to understand the procedures that were adopted in the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (5 May–30 September 2020) and the dentists’ expectations and concerns about returning to normalcy. Methods: A national survey with 38 questions was conducted from November 2020 to January 2021 and comparisons were performed among the five main Italian geographic areas. Results: Located mainly in northwest Italy, 1028 dentists were included in the survey. About 83% of the Italian dentists fully restarted their activities after the lockdown. The resumption was significantly marked in North Italy and the Center than in the South (p < 0.01). Over 80% adopted the recommended precautional guidelines, modifying them according to the specific dental treatment executed. Fifty percent of dentists were confident in returning to normalcy after the COVID-19 crisis. Many precautions adopted during the pandemic will be continued, especially in South Italy and the Islands (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Italian dentists reported excellent autonomous organizational skills and the maintaining of high-quality precautions during the reopening phase.

Dental Patients’ Perspective on COVID-19: A Systematic Review

“…In the first COVID-19 outbreak period, many countries adopted prudential measures to reduce the risk of contagion, such as suspending elective dental treatments and recommending executing only non-postponable dental treatments. However, after the first waves of COVID-19, the need to restart private and public dental activities has become the first and foremost goal of many dental professionals [11].…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dentistry and Dental Education: A Narrative Review

“…The combination of hydrogen peroxide with chlorhexidine solutions has been shown in vitro to be more effective than either solution alone in preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [ 7 ]. Other studies have shown a decrease in salivary viral load after a 30 s mouth and oropharynx gargle with 15 mL of 1.5% or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution or 0.12% chlorhexidine solution [ 8 ]. Likewise, brief (30 s) rinses with 0.2%, 0.4% or 0.5% povidone–iodine (9 mL) or 0.05% cetylpyridinium chloride (15 mL) have been proven to be effective.…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Treatment in Kuwait—A Retrospective Analysis from the Nation’s Largest Hospital

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the outbreak of a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020, and a pandemic on 11 March 2020, affecting more than 7 million people in more than 188 countries [ 1 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way dentistry has been practiced the world over [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The spread of the virus by aerosols has meant that dental practices the world over have had to find ways to contain aerosols in practices [ 5 ].…”