Knowledge of the monkeypox 2022 outbreak among dental hygienists and students in Saudi Arabia: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the knowledge of monkeypox infection among dental hygiene professionals and students in Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of dental hygiene professionals (n = 259). The questionnaire was developed based on previous literature, and descriptive analysis and a Chi‐square test were performed.ResultsA total of 159 dental hygienists responded to the questionnaire. Results indicated that only 1.7% had good knowledge, 7.7% had moderate knowledge and 90.6% had low knowledge of the monkeypox outbreak. The mean knowledge scores varied among dental hygiene students, practitioners and faculty members. Significant group differences were observed for some questions (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur study concludes that dental hygienists had moderate to low level of knowledge of the monkeypox infection and its implications for oral health and patient care, indicating a need for more education on the subject.