Assessment of anxiety level and practice modifications among dentist during novel corona outbreak (Covid-19) in Tamilnadu

Abstract

Background: Pandemic and panic are two sides of the same coin. The sudden outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19 has influ-enced the routine practices of the dentist. Dentists were categorized as a high-risk profession during this pandemic, which cre-ated anxiety and stress regarding their personal and financial issues. Such a survey would help us to understand the impact of psychological burden among the dentist during the pandemic. Objective: The study aimed to assess the anxiety level among the dentist and also the practice modifications in their dental clinics during a novel COVID-19 outbreak in Tamil Nadu. Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted amongst 250 dental professionals with various years of clinical experiences residing in Tamil Nadu. The questionnaire consisted of two sections; it addressed the level of anxiety and practice modification adopted in dental clinics during this pandemic. Results: There were significant differences in anxiety scores and practice management questionnaire scores between clinicians with varying years of clinical experience (P=0.0001). Anxiety level was found to be higher in clinicians with less than 5 years of experience. Dentists with clinical experience of more than 10 years were found to have better practice management. Conclusion: Anxiety and stress have been the main psychological burden among dentist during this covid-19 outbreak. Ad-ditional practice modifications during this pandemic have a severe impact on their financial investment in the clinic.