COVID-19—Awareness and Practice of Dentists in Saudi Arabia
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Setting and Sample
2.3. Instrument
2.4. Data Collection
2.5. Data Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Age | Mean (SD) | 33.49 (6.94) |
Minimum | 23 | |
Maximum | 58 | |
Gender | Male | 137(77.4%) |
Female | 40(22.6%) | |
Nationality | Saudi | 83 (46.9%) |
Non-Saudi | 94 (53.1%) | |
Type of Practice | Governmental | 119(67.2%) |
Private | 46(26%) | |
Both | 12(6.8%) | |
Practice Location in Saudi Arabia | North Region | 7(4%) |
South Region | 6(3.4%) | |
Centre Region | 126(71.2%) | |
East Region | 14(7.9%) | |
West Region | 24(13.5%) | |
Clinical Experience (years) | Mean (SD) | 7.7 (6.44) |
Minimum | 1 y | |
Maximum | 33 y | |
1–5 y | 80(45.2%) | |
6–10 y | 42(23.7%) | |
>10 y | 40(22.6%) | |
Qualification | DDS/BDS | 92(52%) |
Postgraduate Diploma | 29(16.4%) | |
MSc | 30(16.9%) | |
PhD | 30(16.9%) | |
Board Certificate | 11(6.2%) | |
General Dental Practitioner | 92(52%) | |
Specialist Dentist | 85(48%) | |
Specialty | General Practice | 102(57.6%) |
Prosthodontics | 16(9%) | |
Operative Dentistry | 6(3.4%) | |
Endodontics | 12(6.8%) | |
Paediatric Dentistry | 6(3.4%) | |
Oral Surgery | 8(4.5%) | |
Periodontics | 3(1.7%) | |
Oral Medicine | 7(4%) | |
Orthodontics | 4(2.3%) | |
Other | 13(7.3%) |
No | Statements about COVID-19 | Dentists’ Response n (%) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
True | False | I don’t Know | ||
1 | The transmission of COVID-19 is from human to human. | 168 (94.9) | 8 (4.5) | 1 (0.6) |
2 | The incubation time of COVID-19 is 14 days. | 162 (91.5) | 10 (5.6) | 5 (2.8) |
3 | The main clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue, dry cough, and myalgia. | 171 (96.6) | 3 (1.7) | 3 (1.7) |
4 | COVID-19 can stay on surfaces for few days. | 112 (63.3) | 55 (31.1) | 10 (5.6) |
5 | Isolation and deferring treatment of people who are infected with the COVID-19 virus are effective ways to reduce the spread of the virus. | 156 (88.1) | 11 (6.2) | 10 (5.6) |
6 | Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing (RT-PCR) is the best test to detect COVID-19. | 117 (66.1) | 11 (6.2) | 49 (27.7) |
7 | The mortality rate is more common in COVID-19 patients with chronic disease than others. | 159 (89.8) | 12 (6.8) | 6 (3.4) |
8 | Droplets, aerosols and airborne particles are more likely to cause transmission of COVID-19 in the dental clinic. | 147 (83.1) | 8 (4.5) | 22 (12.4) |
No | Questions | Dentists’ Response n (%) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | I don’t Know | ||
1 | Do you update your knowledge with the current WHO Guidelines for Cross-Infection Control regarding COVID-19? | 149 (84.2) | 21 (11.9) | 7 (4) |
2 | Have you got screening room in your dental office to evaluate the patients regarding COVID-19 before starting dental treatment? | 118 (66.7) | 43 (24.3) | 16 (9) |
3 | Do you ask every patient about travel history before performing a dental treatment? | 133 (75.1) | 37 (20.9) | 7 (4) |
4 | Do you measure patient’s body temperature before doing a dental treatment? | 157 (88.7) | 13 (7.3) | 7 (4) |
5 | Do you postpone the dental treatment of patients showing suspicious symptoms related to COVID-19? | 138 (78) | 26 (14.7) | 13 (7.3) |
6 | Do you think a N-95 mask should be worn in dental practice rather than an ordinary mask? | 131 (74) | 35 (19.8) | 11 (6.2) |
7 | Do you ask every patient to rinse his/her mouth with anti-bacterial mouthwash before dental treatment? | 92 (52) | 75 (42.4) | 10 (5.6) |
8 | Do you ask your assistant to clean the environmental surfaces at your clinic after each patient? | 162 (91.5) | 12 (6.8) | 3 (1.7) |
9 | Do you wash hands with soap and water/use sanitizer before and after treatment of every patient? | 171 (96.6) | 3 (1.7) | 3 (1.7) |
10 | Do you use the rubber dam for all/most cases to minimize aerosols and so risk of infection with COVID-19? | 121 (68.4) | 43 (24.3) | 12 (6.8) |
11 | At time of coronavirus spread, do you use only low speed hand piece for all cases to minimize aerosols and so risk of infection with COVID-19? | 68 (38.4) | 94 (53.1) | 14 (7.9) |
12 | Do you use antirestrictive valves dental hand pieces at your clinic? | 76 (42.9) | 70 (39.5) | 30 (16.9) |
13 | At time of coronavirus spread, do you restrict dental treatment to only emergency cases? | 146 (82.5) | 21 (11.9) | 9 (5.1) |
14 | Do you contact the Authority of Health if you suspect a patient has COVID-19 infection? | 127 (71.8) | 38 (21.5) | 11 (6.2) |
15 | At time of coronavirus spread, do you measure your body temperature, and the staff working with you every day before starting work in the dental clinic? | 145 (81.9) | 24 (13.6) | 7 (4) |
16 | Do you charge the patient for the extra-infection control procedures to avoid infection with COVID-19? | 92 (52) | 73 (41.2) | 11 (6.2) |
Statement/Question about COVID-19 | Clinical Experience (Years) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1–5 y | 6–10 y | >10 y | p-Value | |
Droplets, aerosols and airborne particles are more likely to cause transmission of COVID-19 in the dental clinic. | ||||
true | 63 (78.8%) | 31 (73.8%) | 39 (97.5%) | 0.014 * |
false | 6 (7.5%) | 1 (2.4%) | 0 | |
I don’t know | 11 (13.8%) | 10 (23.8%) | 1 (2.5%) | |
Do you measure patient’s body temperature before doing a dental treatment? | ||||
yes | 64 (80%) | 40 (95.2%) | 39 (97.5%) | 0.023 * |
no | 11 (13.8%) | 2 (4.8%) | 0 | |
I don’t know | 5 (6.2%) | 0 | 1 (2.5%) | |
Do you ask your assistant to clean the environmental surfaces at your clinic after each patient? | ||||
yes | 69 (86.2%) | 40 (95.2%) | 39 (97.5%) | 0.026 * |
no | 10 (12.5%) | 0 | 1 (2.5%) | |
I don’t know | 1 (1.2%) | 2 (4.8%) | 0 | |
The main clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue, dry cough, and myalgia. | Qualification | |||
General Dental Practitioner | Specialist Dentist | p-value | ||
true | 92 (100%) | 79 (92.9%) | 0.035 * | |
false | 0 | 3 (3.5%) | ||
I don’t know | 0 | 3 (3.5%) |
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Tarakji, B.; Nassani, M.Z.; Alali, F.M.; B. Alsalhani, A.; Alqhtani, N.R.; Bin Nabhan, A.; Alenzi, A.; Alrafedah, A. COVID-19—Awareness and Practice of Dentists in Saudi Arabia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010330
Tarakji B, Nassani MZ, Alali FM, B. Alsalhani A, Alqhtani NR, Bin Nabhan A, Alenzi A, Alrafedah A. COVID-19—Awareness and Practice of Dentists in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(1):330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010330
Chicago/Turabian StyleTarakji, Bassel, Mohammad Zakaria Nassani, Faisal Mehsen Alali, Anas B. Alsalhani, Nasser Raqe Alqhtani, Abdullah Bin Nabhan, Adel Alenzi, and Ali Alrafedah. 2021. "COVID-19—Awareness and Practice of Dentists in Saudi Arabia" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 1: 330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010330