Dentists’ Knowledge and Practice of the Notification Protocol of the Ministry of Health in Dealing With COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Khuzestan

Abstract

Background: The number of patients suffering coronavirus (COVID-19) is increasing worldwide, and given that there is now no vaccine against this virus, the best prevention technique is to observe health protocols and social distancing. This issue is of paramount importance in dentistry clinics. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dentists in Ahvaz regarding COVID-19. Methods: The study population encompassed all dentists who were the WhatsApp group members of the Iranian Dental Association in Ahvaz, Iran. The online questionnaire link was shared on the social network on October 1, and the member dentists were asked to answer the questionnaire addressing demographic characteristics, knowledge about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 disease, virus transmission method, and infection control method. These items assessed the dentists’ attitude and practice in the treatment procedure of the COVID-19 patients. Results: Out of 227 group members, 171 dentists observed the questionnaire link, and 108 persons answered the questions. Most of the respondents were 40-49 years old and male. Moreover, 19% of the participants had dentistry specialization, 60% of the dentists had received no training on infection control in dentistry, 66% of these individuals had passed the COVID-19 training course, and 23% of the dentists believed that the COVID-19 incubation period was 7-14 days. Most of the dentists were aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and the diagnosis techniques for patients with COVID-19. They correctly reported the disease transmission and the disease prevention methods in the dental clinic. The dentists acted differently in using personal equipment, and only 75% of these individuals used the N95 Mask during the treatment of patients. About 13% of the dentists did not study the protocol proposed by the Ministry of Health for reopening the dental clinic during the COVID-19 outbreak period. Conclusions: The Ahvazian dentists are aware of the symptoms of COVID-19, its transmission, and the infection control protocol in dental clinics. However, they did not fully observe the protocols on wearing personal protective equipment for themselves and clinic staff; hence, barriers to using personal protective equipment should be eliminated, and the implementation of the protocols in dental clinics should be monitored more strictly.