• Plos One · Jan 2020

    Pandemic preparedness of dentists against coronavirus disease: A Saudi Arabian experience.

    • Khalifa S Al-Khalifa, Rasha AlSheikh, Abdullah S Al-Swuailem, Muneera S Alkhalifa, Mahmoud H Al-Johani, Saud A Al-Moumen, and Zainab I Almomen.
    • Preventive Dental Sciences Department, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
    • Plos One. 2020 Jan 1; 15 (8): e0237630.

    BackgroundDental offices are among the highest risk for transmission of the COVID-19, having the potential to transmit the virus via routine dental procedures. This cross-sectional study assessed the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic by dentists in Saudi Arabia.Materials And MethodsThis online survey addressed the impact and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental practice in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised 26 closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions with percentages. In addition, the significance between the different demographic variables and questions about dentists' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic was tested using the Chi-square test.ResultsCOVID-19 management in dental clinics varied in terms of adherence to the Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines. Dental clinics' screening questionnaire for patients showed good adherence (67%), while the lowest agreement was detected with the question on the existence of an airborne infection in the isolation room (15%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents agreed that the dental reception area adopted the proper COVID-19 preventive measures. Greatest accord was observed in their answers on questions about dentists' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from 64%-89%. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in questions about the perception of dentists towards the COVID-19 pandemic by different demographic variables such as age and years of work experience (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe response of most dentists regarding the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic was positive. Dental clinics need to adhere more to the MOH recommendations in preparedness of their facilities or by educating their dentists and staff.

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