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How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Risk Awareness in Dentists: A Scoping Review

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  • Thomas Gerhard Wolf

    (Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany)

  • Leonardo de Col

    (Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Seyed Ahmad Banihashem Rad

    (Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Paolo Castiglia

    (Department of Surgery, Microsurgery and Medicine Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 3/c, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    Direzione Igiene e Controllo delle Infezioni Ospedaliere, University Hospital of Sassari, Via Padre Manzella 4, 07100 Sassari, Italy)

  • Antonella Arghittu

    (Department of Surgery, Microsurgery and Medicine Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 3/c, 07100 Sassari, Italy
    Direzione Igiene e Controllo delle Infezioni Ospedaliere, University Hospital of Sassari, Via Padre Manzella 4, 07100 Sassari, Italy)

  • Mina Cannavale

    (Independent Researcher, 81030 Casaluce, Italy)

  • Guglielmo Campus

    (Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Department of Surgery, Microsurgery and Medicine Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 3/c, 07100 Sassari, Italy)

Abstract

Dentists are on the frontline of infection, especially when it comes to respiratory viruses like the new coronavirus. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a scoping review to better understand dentists’ risk awareness, awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, preventive measures, and effective methods of COVID-19 infection prevention and management. This paper systematically assesses the published literature on dentistry and COVID-19. Various electronic databases including Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and MEDLINE via PubMed were searched up to 9 September 2021. Overall, 39 papers were included. Almost the entirety of dentists (94.5%) reported awareness of the three most common COVID-19 symptoms, and a risk awareness score of about 90% was shown, while 88.2% of dentists reported adopting preventive measures. More than 50% did not want to treat infected people. While 70.3% of dentists recommended usage of N95 masks, the rate of dentists using them was below 40%. Sufficient awareness of risks during the pandemic was found in dentists. Although they were using preventive measures, there remains upside potential for adopting all recommended measures. Further, the usage of N95 masks is improvable, even though the benefit of wearing them could not be confirmed.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Leonardo de Col & Seyed Ahmad Banihashem Rad & Paolo Castiglia & Antonella Arghittu & Mina Cannavale & Guglielmo Campus, 2022. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Risk Awareness in Dentists: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:9:p:4971-:d:797469
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto De Stefani & Giovanni Bruno & Sabrina Mutinelli & Antonio Gracco, 2020. "COVID-19 Outbreak Perception in Italian Dentists," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-7, May.
    2. Miguel Ángel Casillas Santana & Alan Martínez Zumarán & Nuria Patiño Marín & Brenda Eréndida Castillo Silva & Carolina Sámano Valencia & Marco Felipe Salas Orozco, 2021. "How Dentists Face the COVID-19 in Mexico: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Fatih Karayürek & Neslihan Yilmaz Çırakoğlu & Aydin Gülses & Mustafa Ayna, 2021. "Awareness and Knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Dental Professionals According to the Turkish National Dental Guidelines," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Giovanna Deiana & Antonio Azara & Marco Dettori & Fiorenzo Delogu & Gavino Vargiu & Isabella Gessa & Filippo Stroscio & Marcello Tidore & Giorgio Steri & Paolo Castiglia, 2020. "Deaths in SARS-Cov-2 Positive Patients in Italy: The Influence of Underlying Health Conditions on Lethality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-10, June.
    5. Muhammad Adeel Ahmed & Rizwan Jouhar & Naseer Ahmed & Samira Adnan & Marziya Aftab & Muhammad Sohail Zafar & Zohaib Khurshid, 2020. "Fear and Practice Modifications among Dentists to Combat Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-11, April.
    6. Maria Grazia Cagetti & Jean Louis Cairoli & Andrea Senna & Guglielmo Campus, 2020. "COVID-19 Outbreak in North Italy: An Overview on Dentistry. A Questionnaire Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Guglielmo Campus & Marcela Diaz-Betancourt & Maria Grazia Cagetti & Joana C. Carvalho & Thiago S. Carvalho & Javier F. Cortés-Martinicorena & James Deschner & Gail V. A. Douglas & Rodrigo A. Giacaman , 2020. "Study Protocol for an Online Questionnaire Survey on Symptoms/Signs, Protective Measures, Level of Awareness and Perception Regarding COVID-19 Outbreak among Dentists. A Global Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-8, August.
    8. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Oliver Zeyer & Guglielmo Campus, 2020. "COVID-19 in Switzerland and Liechtenstein: A Cross-Sectional Survey among Dentists’ Awareness, Protective Measures and Economic Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-12, December.
    9. 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.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Gerhard Wolf & Adrian Barth & Joachim Hüttmann & Michael Lennartz & Ernst-Jürgen Otterbach & Christian Brendel & Maria Grazia Cagetti & James Deschner & Guglielmo Campus, 2022. "Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Practices in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-9, May.
    2. Mario Caggiano & Alfonso Acerra & Stefano Martina & Marzio Galdi & Francesco D’Ambrosio, 2023. "Infection Control in Dental Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Is Changed?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-10, February.

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