Impact of COVID-19 on Czech Dentistry: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Preliminary Study among Dentists in the Czech Republic

Abstract

This work evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Czech dentistry from March 2020 to March 2021. The assessment was based on questionnaires filled out by 3674 Czech dentists representing 42.6% of practicing dentists in the country. During March–May, 2020 (the first COVID-19 wave), 90.7% of dental practices remained open; however, only 22.8% of the practices continued to operate with no changes, 46.5% had fewer patients, 21.4% treated only acute cases, and 3.8% were closed. During September 2020–May 2021 (the second wave of COVID-19), 96.1% of dental practices remained open, 60.8% operated with no changes, 34.5% had fewer patients, 0.8% treated only acute cases, and 0.5% were closed. The reasons leading to the closure of Czech dental practices during the whole pandemic were a shortage of personal protective equipment (50.5%), a COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace (24.5%), fear of a possible self-infection (24.0%), and quarantine (20.5%). The time range of Czech dental practices closure during the whole pandemic was: 1–2 weeks (49.9%), 2–4 weeks (21.2%), and >1 month (0.8%). The greatest professional difficulties of Czech dentists during the pandemic were crisis operating management (55%), health safety and hygiene concerns (21%), shortage of personal protective equipment (21%), and difficulty working with the protective equipment (15%). In addition, 47.3% of dentists also observed a declining interest in preventive dental care, and 16.9% of them observed worse oral care of patients. These results show that despite the lack of protective equipment, dental care was maintained throughout the pandemic. Additionally, the pandemic negatively affected the patients’ approach to dental care, indicating a deterioration in oral health as a possible delayed outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Dental Preferences of Patients in the Private Sector

“…To the author’s knowledge, few studies have been conducted that show patients’ preferences for dental services during the pandemic, much less compare these preferences with the pre-pandemic period [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. The present study shows a number of indicators noted by dental offices regarding patient interest in their services.…”

“…The study conducted is unique because it is the first to investigate the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients’ preferences in choosing dental services. So far, studies have been carried out to determine the indirect impact on the behaviour of patients in dental services in the COVID-19 pandemic, and these studies analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the behaviour of dental staff and, consequently, indirectly, on the preferences of patients [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. The study eliminated the influence of factors such as the availability of personal protective equipment, which was freely available to the dental staff.…”

COVID-19 Prevalence among Czech Dentists

“…The literature search shows that studies focusing on the prevalence of COVID-19 among dentists are scant. Although many studies have been published focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on the operability of dental practices, current works on the impact of COVID-19 on dental professionals are lacking [ 13 , 19 , 20 ]. This condition is alarming due to the high occupational risk of dentists and emphasizes the need for further studies on this topic.…”

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, general healthcare was suppressed in the Czech Republic. However, a survey performed among members of the Czech Dental Chamber revealed that Czech dentists worked even throughout the pandemic [ 13 ]. During the spring of 2020, in the Czech Republic also called the “first wave” of COVID-19, more than 90% of the participating dentists replied that their practices were open.…”

“…The data showed that Czech dentistry remained very operational during the whole pandemic. This approach was rare on a European and global scale [ 13 ]. Such conditions make Czech dentists a unique study group to assess the impact of COVID-19 on dental professionals as it minimizes the bias resulting from their workplace.…”