The Impact of COVID-19 on Infection Control Measures in Dental Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yasmeen Wahdan, Ghassan Habash, Elham Kateeb (), Raed Junaidy and Soher Nagi Jayash ()
Additional contact information
Yasmeen Wahdan: Institiute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank, Birzeit P.O. Box 14, Palestine
Ghassan Habash: Faculty of Graduate Studies, Arab American University, Jenin P.O. Box 240, Palestine
Elham Kateeb: Oral Health Research and Promotion Unit, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem P.O. Box 51000, Palestine
Raed Junaidy: Dental Unit, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem P.O. Box 69018, Palestine
Soher Nagi Jayash: The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 15, 1-12

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on every aspect of life, especially for healthcare professionals. Dentists are the most at risk of infection due to close contact with patients. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness, perception, and attitude of Palestinian dentists towards COVID-19 and infection control. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from 17–30 July 2020, and 349 dentists from the West Bank participated. The survey assessed demographic variables, participation in infection control training, prevention methods used in dental clinics, patient preparation for dental work, cross-infection control and sterilization before and after the pandemic, and sources for guideline protocols for dental workers. The results of the study showed that 54 (14.4%) dentists had received training in infection control in dentistry and 121 (34.3%) had attended training specifically regarding COVID-19. During a partial lockdown, 60% of dentists treated only urgent cases. Overall, the dentists in the West Bank demonstrated good knowledge and a positive attitude towards COVID-19 and infection control measures in dental clinics, as there were significant differences between replacing a medical apron or mask and wearing a face shield, cover shoes, head cap, and goggles before and after COVID ( p < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences between wrapping the chair and using purification devices to disinfect the clinic before and after COVID ( p < 0.05). However, dentists’ knowledge could be improved by increasing their accessibility to materials and provided training. Dental associations should provide guidelines regularly to dentists during a crisis to inform them of best practices and disease management. In conclusion, dentists need to update their knowledge, continuing education and training to guarantee the proper handling of COVID-19. The study’s findings show the importance of updating infection control protocols and training programs that address the specific needs and challenges faced by dentists in the West Bank.

Keywords: COVID-19; dentists; survey; questionnaires; dental practices; West Bank; pandemics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/15/6517/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/15/6517/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:15:p:6517-:d:1210300

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().