Dental Restrictions to Clinical Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Perspective

Nguyen, Tan; Tonmukayakul, Utsana; Calache, Hanny

doi:10.1177/23800844211000341

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Other surveys addressing the Malaysian dental students also reported similar sentiments (Lestari et al, 2022;Pandarathodiyil et al, 2022). Disrupted clinical training leads not just the difficulty in ensuring graduate competencies, it also affects the psychological and emotional state of the students, and leads to another major concern which was the disruption of continuity of care that would be detrimental for the oral health of their patients (Al-Omiri et al, 2021;Nguyen et al, 2021). Untreated oral diseases, resulting in preventable pain, infection and reduced quality of life, can lead to productivity losses such as missed schooling or work.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Malaysian dental deans’ consensus on impact of COVID-19 and recommendations for sustaining quality dental education

et al. 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the training of dental students and the impact can be felt not just by the students, but patients seen at dental school operated clinics. We used the modified-Delphi method to investigate the response from deans of all Malaysian dental schools on the impact of COVID-19, and to solicit their views on policy recommendations to sustain quality dental education during and beyond the infectious disease outbreak. Our analysis revealed that all dental deans are in agreement with strong consensus to 10 out of fifteen items listed to be the challenges they faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic particularly these three items: “Patients under care of students experienced interrupted dental treatment which increases their risk of having their dental and overall wellbeing affected”; “Increased clinical budget for daily operations of Students’ clinics to cater for extra PPE and related expenses,” and; “The Students’ ability to meet clinical requirements for safe and competent practice.” All deans agreed with a strong consensus to the policy statements formulated based on the WHO’s Six Building Blocks to sustain quality dental education. In view of the results, we further discussed the importance of acknowledging that university-led dental clinics as an important part of the national healthcare system. Hence, we proposed that dental education need to have clear policies on having adequate number of trained staff, sufficient funds, information, supplies, transport, communications and overall guidance, and direction to function. Having a National Dental Education Policy that addresses the unique challenges identified in this study will serve as a monumental cornerstone to sustain quality dental education during times of calamity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Malaysian dental deans’ consensus on impact of COVID-19 and recommendations for sustaining quality dental education

et al. 2022

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“…However, the behavior of dentists during the pandemic has not been homogenous. In some countries, dental care was limited, while in other countries non-emergency care was also provided due to local or national legal restrictions [11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Dental Professionals’ Infection Risk Perception: An International Survey

Campus,

Jenni,

Betancourt

et al. 2023

JCM

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A global survey among dentists was used to identify the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on this professional group. Special attention was given to perception and assessment of infection risk. From May to August 2020, the questionnaire was delivered in 36 countries by respective research groups and was completed by 52,491 dental professionals. The survey was designed as a cross-sectional survey based on a previously standardized questionnaire. This study focuses on the part of the questionnaire that deals with the perception of the infection risk of COVID-19 by dentists and their patients. A logistic regression model was used, which consisted of four Likert items as response options and the additional self-reported routine or emergency treatment as the dependent variable. Analysis by continent found that European and Asian dentists were particularly likely to be infected at work (OR = 1.45 95%CI = 1.02/1.84 and OR = 2.68, 95%CI = 1.45/3.22, respectively), while it was likely that Australian dentists did not feel particularly at risk due to low infection rates. Three quarters of Americans treated only emergencies during this survey period, while Europeans (64.71%) and Asians (66.67%) provided mostly routine care. This could affect the Europeans’ confidence that they would not be able to protect themselves from infections in the long-term. The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on dental professionals’ infection risk perception is determined by the geographical origin of dentists. This study shows that, especially in high-incidence countries, infection risk perception was higher when dentists tried to provide routine dental procedures to their patients. Dental professionals can offer themselves and their patients good protection by maintaining high standards of hygiene. However, their concerns should be taken seriously and the dental professionals’ group that is of great importance for oral health care and prevention, should not be neglected in the future, even in the event of emerging pandemics.

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“…During the pandemic, an increase in prescribing antibiotics and opioid analgesics has been observed in oral health services [27][28][29]. Significant declines in the utilisation of dental services due to restrictions and regulations on the provision of non-urgent care during the lockdown have also been reported [14,30,31]. A recent study in the UK highlighted that reduced access to dental services and cessation of oral health improvement programmes (like supervised toothbrushing) indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a major impact on oral health and result in a widening of inequalities [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of COVID-19 on individual oral health: a scoping review

et al. 2022

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Background Poor oral health due to dental caries is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases worldwide. It has a significant impact on individuals across the lifespan and is a leading cause of preventable hospitalizations. The impacts of COVID-19 on oral health at the practice level are well documented, but gaps in understanding the impact on individual oral health remain. This review addresses this gap. Methods Using a JBI scoping review process we mapped and summarized the evidence to identify the impact of COVID-19 on individual oral health. Key search terms were developed, and searches were undertaken by an experienced research librarian. Results The 85 included studies were conducted in 23 countries from 5 regions across the world classified using the United Nations Geoscheme system. The majority (82/85) were quantitative, 2 were reviews and there was one qualitative interview study. Cross-sectional surveys were the most common data collection approach followed by an analysis of clinical data, analysis of internet trends and other online methods. Five key areas were identified including changes to the provision of emergency dental services, provision of routine oral health services, oral hygiene maintenance at home, changes in dietary preferences, alternative models of dental provision and help-seeking and attitudes towards dental care in the future. Conclusions This scoping review has demonstrated that the pandemic has impacted on oral health at the individual level. It is important that we are aware of these impacts and ensure that support systems are in place to overcome future periods where access to dental care might be compromised. The provision of preventive care remains a vital first step in ensuring good overall oral health as is paramount during periods where access to dental treatment might be limited.

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Dental Restrictions to Clinical Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Perspective

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

Malaysian dental deans’ consensus on impact of COVID-19 and recommendations for sustaining quality dental education

Malaysian dental deans’ consensus on impact of COVID-19 and recommendations for sustaining quality dental education

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Dental Professionals’ Infection Risk Perception: An International Survey

The impact of COVID-19 on individual oral health: a scoping review

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