Abstract
Despite the availability of prevention guidelines and recommendations on infection management, several dental practices lack the basic awareness of requirements for infection control. This study aimed to assess the amount of awareness, perception, and perspective relating to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and infection control among clinical dental technicians. The study population consisted of clinical dental technicians who worked in private clinics, hospitals, and health centers in Albayda, Libya. A questionnaire was sent to a sample of clinical dental technicians in August 2020. The questionnaire comprised of a series of questions about clinical dental technicians including the following: their demographic characteristics, their awareness of the incubation period, the symptoms of the disease, mode of transmission of COVID-19, and infection management measures for preventing COVID-19, and their perspective toward treating patients with COVID-19. This study enclosed a total of 35 clinical dental technicians aged 22–50 years (mean = 29.5 years, SD = 9.8 years). A total of 10 (28.5%) clinical dental technicians had completed a residency program in dentistry, 15 (42.8%) had received training in infection control in dentistry, and 10 (28.5%) had attended training or lectures regarding COVID-19. A total of 5 (14.2%) clinical dental technicians reported that the period of time is 1–14 days. The bulk of clinical dental technicians were aware of COVID-19 symptoms and ways patients are at risk of getting COVID-19, were able to correctly report best-known modes of transmission, and were aware of measures for preventing COVID-19 transmission in dental clinics. A total of 30 (85.7%) believed that it was necessary to wear masks when within the waiting room and to wash hands before going in the dental chair in order to decrease disease transmission. Clinical denturists were aware of COVID-19 symptoms, modes of transmission, and infection controls and measures in dental clinics. However, clinical dental technicians had restricted comprehension of the additional precautional measures that protect the dental staff and other patients from COVID-19.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a recently discovered pneumonia-causing infection that was first found in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread around the rest of the world
The questionnaire was designed in English and comprised of a series of questions referring to sociodemographic characteristics, the knowledge of clinical dental technicians, their attitudes and perceptions toward COVID-19, and infection control in dental clinics
A total of 10 (28.5%) had completed their residency program in dentistry, 15 (42.8%) had received training in infection control in dentistry, and 10 (28.5%) had attended training or received lectures relating to COVID-19
Summary
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a recently discovered pneumonia-causing infection that was first found in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread around the rest of the world. Other routes of transmission similar to blood or saliva have not been explored, they are possible because of the recognized transmission of blood-borne infectious diseases, for example, AIDS/HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus. These routes of transmission increase the priority of cautioning against COVID-19 within the dental practice[2]. The dental clinic isn’t an exception as a similar risk of transmitting the infection between staff or individuals exists, the dental health center could be a riskier environment for spreading the virus owing to close contact with patients and the nature of dental treatment[4]. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 do not necessarily require dental treatments, in the case that a dental emergency takes place, close contact would be inevitable
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