COVID-19: The Dentists' Perceived Impact on the Dental Practice.

Abstract

Objectives The present study aimed to investigate the dentists’ knowledge of the risks from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and how it will impact their practice. Materials and Methods An ad hoc self-administered anonymous questionnaire was submitted to Italian dentists. Statistical Analysis Differences in rates were calculated using the chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results A total of 849 dentists fully completed the survey. Eighty-eight per cent of Italian dentists are worried about the health of their families, with no difference in high-risk (red zone) and low-risk (orange zone) regions. About 86% of professionals report some income loss and 94% fear a drop in patients after the quarantine phase, with the dentists working the red zone claiming a greater economic loss and fearing a reduced practice after the end of the lockdown. Discussion A large majority of the Italian dentists appears to be aware of the need for changes in their dental practices by planning specific sterilization processes between appointments, testing patients for SARS-CoV-2 serology, asking patients not to be accompanied, and reducing the number of visits per day. Conclusion The survey expresses the serious concern of the dentists for the pandemic’s effects on their profession.