IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2021i1p175-d710457.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Dental Medical Facilities in Germany: A Questionnaire-Based Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Stephan Zellmer

    (Department of Internal Medicine III—Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Ella Bachmann

    (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Augsburg, Sauerbruchstraße 6, 86179 Augsburg, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Anna Muzalyova

    (Department of Internal Medicine III—Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany)

  • Alanna Ebigbo

    (Department of Internal Medicine III—Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany)

  • Maria Kahn

    (Department of Internal Medicine III—Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany)

  • Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

    (Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Neusäßer Straße 47, 86156 Augsburg, Germany)

  • Roland Frankenberger

    (Department of Operative Dentistry, Endodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, Campus Marburg, University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Georg-Voigt-Str. 3, 35039 Marburg, Germany)

  • Fabian M. Eckstein

    (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany)

  • Thomas Ziebart

    (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Campus Marburg, Philipps University Marburg and University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Baldingerstr, 35033 Marburg, Germany)

  • Axel Meisgeier

    (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Campus Marburg, Philipps University Marburg and University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Baldingerstr, 35033 Marburg, Germany)

  • Helmut Messmann

    (Department of Internal Medicine III—Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany)

  • Christoph Römmele

    (Department of Internal Medicine III—Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Tilo Schlittenbauer

    (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Augsburg, Sauerbruchstraße 6, 86179 Augsburg, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced healthcare workers to adapt to challenges in both patient care and self-protection. Dental practitioners were confronted with a potentially high possibility of infection transmission due to aerosol-generating procedures. This study aims to present data on healthcare worker (HCW) screening, infection status of HCWs, pre-interventional testing, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the economic impact of the pandemic in dental facilities. (2) Methods: Dental facilities were surveyed nationwide using an online questionnaire. The acquisition of participants took place in cooperation with the German Society for Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine. (3) Results: A total of 1094 private practices participated. Of these, 39.1% treated fewer than 600 patients per quarter and 59.9% treated over 600 patients per quarter. Pre-interventional testing was rarely performed in either small (6.6%) or large practices (6.0%). Large practices had a significantly higher incidence of at least one SARS-CoV-2-positive HCW than small practices (26.2% vs.14.4%, p < 0.01). The main source of infection in small practices was the private environment, and this was even more significant in large practices (81.8% vs. 89.7%, p < 0.01). The procedure count either remained stable (34.0% of small practices vs. 46.2% of large practices) or decreased by up to 50% (52.6% of small practices vs. 44.4% of large practices). Revenue remained stable (24.8% of small practices vs. 34.2% of large practices) or decreased by up to 50% (64.5% of small practices vs. 55.3% of large practices, p = 0.03). Overall, employee numbers remained stable (75.5% of small practices vs. 76.8% of large practices). A vaccination readiness of 60–100% was shown in 60.5% ( n = 405) of large practices and 59.9% ( n = 251) of small practices. (4) Conclusion: Pre-interventional testing in dental practices should be increased further. Economic challenges affected small practices as well as large practices. Overall, a steady employee count could be maintained. Vaccination readiness is high in dental practices, although with some room for improvement.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephan Zellmer & Ella Bachmann & Anna Muzalyova & Alanna Ebigbo & Maria Kahn & Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann & Roland Frankenberger & Fabian M. Eckstein & Thomas Ziebart & Axel Meisgeier & Helmut Messmann , 2021. "One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Dental Medical Facilities in Germany: A Questionnaire-Based Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:175-:d:710457
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/175/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/175/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & James Deschner & Harald Schrader & Peter Bührens & Gudrun Kaps-Richter & Maria Grazia Cagetti & Guglielmo Campus, 2021. "Dental Workload Reduction during First SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Lockdown in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-10, March.
    2. G.J. Melman & A.K. Parlikad & E.A.B. Cameron, 2021. "Balancing scarce hospital resources during the COVID-19 pandemic using discrete-event simulation," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 356-374, June.
    3. Ioannis Tzoutzas & Helena C. Maltezou & Nikolaos Barmparesos & Panagiotis Tasios & Chrysanthi Efthymiou & Margarita Niki Assimakopoulos & Maria Tseroni & Rengina Vorou & Fotios Tzermpos & Maria Antoni, 2021. "Indoor Air Quality Evaluation Using Mechanical Ventilation and Portable Air Purifiers in an Academic Dentistry Clinic during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Bruna Sinjari & Imena Rexhepi & Manlio Santilli & Gianmaria D′Addazio & Piero Chiacchiaretta & Piero Di Carlo & Sergio Caputi, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 Related Lockdown on Dental Practice in Central Italy—Outcomes of A Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna Turska-Szybka & Maria Prokopczyk & Piotr Winkielman & Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk, 2021. "Knowledge and Attitude of Polish Dental Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    2. Rebecca Malsam & Albert Nienhaus, 2021. "Occupational Infections among Dental Health Workers in Germany—14-Year Time Trends," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Tine Buyl & Thomas Gehrig & Jonas Schreyögg & Andreas Wieland, 2022. "Resilience: A Critical Appraisal of the State of Research for Business and Society," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 453-463, December.
    4. Imena Rexhepi & Rocco Mangifesta & Manlio Santilli & Silvia Guri & Piero Di Carlo & Gianmaria D’Addazio & Sergio Caputi & Bruna Sinjari, 2021. "Effects of Natural Ventilation and Saliva Standard Ejectors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Aerosol Produced during Dental Procedures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-9, July.
    5. Angeliki Karveli & Ioannis G. Tzoutzas & Panagiotis Ioannis Raptis & Emmanouil-George C. Tzanakakis & Eleftherios Terry R. Farmakis & Constantinos G. Helmis, 2021. "Air Quality in a Dental Clinic during Er:YAG Laser Usage for Cavity Preparation on Human Teeth—An Ex-Vivo Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-13, October.
    6. Ortiz-Barrios, Miguel & Arias-Fonseca, Sebastián & Ishizaka, Alessio & Barbati, Maria & Avendaño-Collante, Betty & Navarro-Jiménez, Eduardo, 2023. "Artificial intelligence and discrete-event simulation for capacity management of intensive care units during the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    7. Saba Wajeeh & Abhishek Lal & Naseer Ahmed & Md. Ibrahim Khalil & Afsheen Maqsood & Akram Mojidea M Alshammari & Abdulelah Zaid Alshammari & Meshari Musallam Mohammed Alsharari & Abdulelah Hamdan Alrus, 2021. "Operational Implications and Risk Assessment of COVID-19 in Dental Practices," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-13, November.
    8. Paolo Capparè & Raffaele D’Ambrosio & Renato De Cunto & Atanaz Darvizeh & Matteo Nagni & Enrico Gherlone, 2022. "The Usage of an Air Purifier Device with HEPA 14 Filter during Dental Procedures in COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Clinical Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-11, April.
    9. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Ralf Kurt Willy Schulze & Francisco Ramos-Gomez & Guglielmo Campus, 2022. "Effectiveness of Telemedicine and Teledentistry after the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-11, October.
    10. Andreea Kui & Codruța Popescu & Anca Labuneț & Oana Almășan & Adrian Petruțiu & Mariana Păcurar & Smaranda Buduru, 2022. "Is Teledentistry a Method for Optimizing Dental Practice, Even in the Post-Pandemic Period? An Integrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, June.
    11. Nada Faleh Almutairi & Amani Abdullah Almaymuni & Julie Toby Thomas & Toby Thomas & Abdullah Almalki & Roshan Uthappa, 2021. "Comprehensive Knowledge and Preparedness among Dental Community to Confront COVID-19—A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Ernst-Jürgen Otterbach & Oliver Zeyer & Ralf Friedrich Wagner & Tin Crnić & Duygu Ilhan & Guglielmo Campus, 2021. "Influence of Oral Health Care Systems on Future Career Environment of Dental Students in Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-10, August.
    13. Sreekanth Kumar Mallineni & Sivakumar Nuvvula & Jaya Chandra Bhumireddy & Ahmad Faisal Ismail & Priya Verma & Rishitha Sajja & Abdullah Alassaf & Basim Almulhim & Sara Alghamdi & Anupam Saha & Virinde, 2021. "Knowledge and Perceptions Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) among Pediatric Dentists during Lockdown Period," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Kenneth S. Serota & Bálint Andó & Katalin Nagy & Ildikó Kovács, 2021. "Revealing Distress and Perceived Stress among Dentists at the Outset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Factor Analytic Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-12, November.
    15. Farah Shoukry & Rana Raafat & Khaled Tarabieh & Sherif Goubran, 2024. "Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Energy in University Classrooms: Simplified Model to Predict Trade-Offs and Synergies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-27, March.
    16. Yusuke Takanabe & Yutaka Maruoka & Junko Kondo & Shotaro Yagi & Daichi Chikazu & Ryuta Okamoto & Masao Saitoh, 2021. "Dispersion of Aerosols Generated during Dental Therapy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-10, October.
    17. Alec Morton & Ebru Bish & Itamar Megiddo & Weifen Zhuang & Roberto Aringhieri & Sally Brailsford & Sarang Deo & Na Geng & Julie Higle & David Hutton & Mart Janssen & Edward H Kaplan & Jianbin Li & Món, 2021. "Introduction to the special issue: Management Science in the Fight Against Covid-19," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 251-252, June.
    18. Li, Yiqun & Fan, Yujie & Wei, Yuan & Liu, Mingqi & Xu, Bin & Ye, Wei, 2024. "Can portable air cleaners reconcile conflicting needs for open-door/window autonomy and indoor air quality for occupants in densely populated offices?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    19. Jan Schmidt & Eliska Waldova & Stepanka Balkova & Jakub Suchanek & Roman Smucler, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on Czech Dentistry: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Preliminary Study among Dentists in the Czech Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, August.
    20. Lei Li & Yilin Zheng & Shaojun Ma, 2022. "Indoor Air Purification and Residents’ Self-Rated Health: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; dentistry; healthcare;
    All these keywords.

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:175-:d:710457. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.