Assessment of knowledge, practices and attitudes of dentists toward coronavirus disease while performing aerosol-generating procedures in dentistry: A cross-sectional survey from India

Abstract

Background. Dental procedures that generate aerosols, if not performed with precautions, are the source of infection during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to analyze dentists’ awareness, knowledge and practice regarding the spread of coronavirus in India, to fill the knowledge gaps and to limit the spread of the virus while performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). Material and methods. A cross-sectional survey containing 23 close-ended questions was conducted using the Google Forms platform. The questionnaire was knowledge, practice and attitude-based (KPA). It was completed by Indian dentists stratified according to gender, designation, years of experience, and residence type. Data was analyzed with the χ2 test, and summarized using frequency and percentage. The independent samples t test and the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze intergroup differences. Results. With regard to knowledge, females, specialists with 10 years of experience and those living in metro cities scored higher. For practice-based questions, males, the teaching staff, dentists with less than 5 years of experience, and those living in suburban areas provided more correct answers. For attitude-based questions, females, general practitioners (GPs), dentists with less than 5 years of experience, and those residing in suburban areas provided more correct answers. Conclusions. Dentists in India demonstrated a high level of understanding with regard to COVID-19. However, they showed a limited understanding of the extra preventative procedures to safeguard against the disease. The study findings have significant implications for the measures aimed at increasing dentists’ level of KPA toward coronavirus.