Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dentists regarding mucormycosis as a possible orofacial manifestation of COVID-19 in postpandemic times: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, is a rare but serious fungal infection usually seen in immunocompromised hosts. There are cluster of cases being reported and diagnosed as mucormycosis in treated COVID-19 patients in the postpandemic times. The aim of the present study was to assess awareness among dentists regarding mucormycosis and other possible oral manifestations of COVID-19 in the postpandemic times and the associated complications. Materials and Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, a well-structured questionnaire composed of a total of 17 closed-ended questions was used to cover questions to assess awareness among dentists regarding the possible oral manifestations of post-COVID-19. Furthermore, statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 (IBM, Chicago, IL, USA), while the Chi-square test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data statistically. Results: The Chi-square test was used to analyze the association of the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores regarding COVID-19 and the academic qualification of the participants revealed that despite having sufficient information (knowledge and attitude scores), no significant difference (P = 0.7288) was observed in the practices of the participants irrespective of their academic qualification. On analyzing the data further, though, a significant positive correlation was observed between all the components of the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores of the participants (P = 0.0001) using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Conclusion: From the findings of the present study, it could be concluded that dentists were well aware of the possible oral manifestations of COVID-19, including mucormycosis, though the possibility of increasing awareness among dentists regarding the multidisciplinary approach required for the management of deep fungal infections such as mucormycosis cannot completely be ruled out. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Practice-based learning and improvement, Patient care and procedural skills, Systems-based practice, Medical knowledge.