The COVID-19 virus is highly infectious, and it places both patients and dental health care providers at high risk for contracting the disease. Therefore, it is crucial for dental teams to practice preventative measures against COVID-19 by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), handwashing, ensuring adequate ventilation and sticking to strict protocols when conducting aerosol-generating procedures. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using an online platform was conducted to assess dentists’ knowledge, attitude and awareness of COVID-19 in Trinidad and Tobago. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher exact test were performed. Results: One hundred and ninety-two dentists participated in the survey. The age group, 30–39, comprised 40.6% of the respondents. General dentists comprised 80.7% of the sample. The majority of the respondents evaluated their awareness of COVID-19 as above average. There was no difference in knowledge between dentists and specialists regarding routes of transmission and preventative techniques. More female dentists reported feeling anxious and fearful. Conclusions: There was a high level of agreement between different professionals about the preventative measures, routes of transmission and incubation period. There was a lot of variation in knowledge about the survivability of the virus on innate objects. More education campaigns, seminars, and rehabilitation services targeting dentists in Trinidad and Tobago are required.

Objective: The purpose of this study was 1) to identify the factors that affect dental students' decision to pursue specialisations and different career paths.2) to identify the most common speciality of interest and factors that influence that decision. 3) to determine if there is a significant difference in factor selection by gender. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire was formulated. The sample population consisted of clinical dental students and interns of The University of the West Indies. Participants were then asked about their plans after leaving dental school and questioned if they wish to specialise and the main reasons. Factors influencing their choices were assessed using a 5 point Likert scale. They were also asked about their preferred work sector. Results: Fifty-six dental students responded and this gave a response rate of 55.4%. Males comprised 14.3% and females 85.7% of the sample. 80.4% of the respondents reported a desire to pursue a specialist career. The most preferred speciality was Aesthetic Dentistry (n = 12, 21.4%) followed by respondents who preferred not to specialise (n = 11, 19.6%) and then Paediatric Dentistry (n = 8, 14.3%). Overall, participants reported personal preference, flexible work schedule and job security were the three most important factors for selecting a career path. Most participants preferred to work in the private sector. There was no association with gender and choosing a specialist career. Conclusion: This study shows the most desired career choices and specialities. There is a need to encourage students to steer towards general dentistry, the public sector and academia. The results show a baseline for national policies and possible postgraduate programmes of interest for this country.

Background: Dental anomalies entail an extensive range of disorders. This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of several anomalies detectable on orthopantomograms and determine associations with ethnicity and gender. Methods: A retrospective review of 581 orthopantomograms and patient files was conducted. The prevalence of various anomalies was determined and the differences in ethnicity and gender were calculated using the chi-square test.Results: The study comprised 269(50.2%) males and 267 (49.8%) females with an age range of 5 -16years. 264(49.3%) participants were Afro-Trinidadians, 146(27.2%) were Indo-Trinidadians, and 126 (23.5%) were of mixed ethnicity. The overall prevalence of dental anomalies was 75.2%. No statistically significant correlation was found between the occurrence of dental anomalies and gender. A correlation was found between ethnicity and missing canines, impacted molars and other impacted teeth, and microdontia, with the mixed population having more anomalies. The impacted canine was the most prevalent anomaly. 44% of participants presented with one anomaly, and 24.81% of participants had two anomalies. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of dental anomalies in the Trinidad and Tobago population. There was an association with some anomalies and ethnicity and no association with gender. The presence of dental anomalies should be considered when assessing diagnosing and treatment planning treatment planning patients in this country.

Dental education was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this preliminary study was to begin to assessment of the effect of the pandemic on dental education in the Caribbean. An online self-administered questionnaire was emailed to undergraduate dental students. The survey was conducted at the end of the semester’s online learning period. The survey assessed the experiences and attitudes of the students. Chi-square and Fisher exact test were tabulated to ascertain the relationship between questions asked with the year of study and gender. The response rate was 73% (n = 100). The respondents comprised 53.4% (n = 24) of preclinical and 72.7% (n = 40) of clinical students who stated didactic and clinical training were affected. In total, 86.7% (n = 39) of preclinical students felt that their lab experience was affected and 96.4% (n = 53) of clinical students reported their clinical training was affected. Restorative dentistry was the sub-specialty students felt was mainly affected. Recorded lectures to review later was stated as the most significant advantage of online learning. A lack of hands-on experience as a result of no access to a preclinical lab was the most negative aspect of online learning for preclinical students. Clinical students reported that their clinical experience was affected by clinic closure and the move to online learning. Moreover, 66% (n = 66) of respondents reported poor internet connection. There was no statistically significant correlation between gender and year of study with the questions asked. Students reported a positive attitude to online learning. However, they did not consider it a substitute for face-to-face laboratory and clinical teaching.

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