Abstract
Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, poses a great risk of transmission throughout society, especially among healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge levels of dentists and healthcare personnel regarding the changes in dental practice that had occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online questionnaire was sent to dentists and health personnel working in Diyarbakır, Turkey within the period from December 30, 2021 to January 6, 2022, using WhatsApp, e-mail, and special social platforms. The questionnaire was designed to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents and their awareness of new clinical procedures and of the changes in dental practice that had occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data obtained from 239 dentists and healthcare personnel in Diyarbakır [118 (49.4%) female and 121 (50.6%) male; 177 dentists and 62 healthcare personnel] were evaluated. Results: Of the dentist participants, 12.7% reported that they did not perform active dental treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their concerns about being infected by their patients with COVID-19 or their existing comorbidities (chronic diseases). Of the participants, 24.6% had acquired COVID-19. Most of the participants used personal protective equipment when conducting all types of dental procedures, including examinations. Conclusion: Dentists and healthcare personnel play an important role in controlling COVID-19 infection. It is very important to be aware of the possible transmission routes of COVID-19 in clinical applications, to use protective equipment during treatments, and to pay attention to personal hygiene. How to cite this article: Yılmaz UN, Eriş Derkuş F, Dündar Yılmaz B. Evaluation of the knowledge levels of dentists and healthcare personnel regarding the changes in dental practice that had occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Med Dent Invest 2022;3:e221164. https://doi.org/10.5577/jomdi.e221164 Linguistic revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English. Checked for plagiarism: Yes
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