Awareness of the Protective Measures Against Covid-19 among Turkish Dentists: A Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the entire world. This study aims to evaluate Turkish dentists’ awareness of and protective measures against COVID-19 infection.
 Methods: A web-based questionnaire consisting of 35 closed-ended and multiple-choice questions was prepared according to Turkish Dental Association guidelines. The questionnaire was divided into three domains: demographic data, precautionary measures, and attitude. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Istanbul University institutional review board. questionnaire was sent to the dentists registered with the Turkish Dental Association. The minimum sample size was calculated as 756 individuals. The Chi-Square test was used to evaluate the difference for categorical variables. Statistical significance was accepted as p< .05.
 Results: A total of nine hundred and ninety-seven questionnaires was analyzed. Five hundred and sixty-three respondents (56.5%) were general dentists, and 434 (43.5%) were specialists. Seven hundred and thirty-five (73.7%) dentists were found to wear disposable gowns, N95/FFP2 masks, and face shields. About half (48.1%) were confident of avoiding infection. Twenty-one (2.1%) subjects were SARS-Cov-2 positive. A majority of both dentists who had COVID-19 (71.4%) and dentists who did not have it (92.7%) agreed that COVID-19 is an occupational risk (p< .001).
 Conclusion: Although nearly two-thirds of the respondents reported using personal protective equipment, greater precautionary measures should be taken by dental staff to protect the patients from COVID-19 and other contagious diseases.