How much does the COVID-19 pandemic affect the clinical attitudes and anxiety levels of Turkish dentists in their dental practice?

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 802 - 808, 26.12.2022

Tuğçe Paksoy Gülbahar Ustaoğlu Duygu Göller Bulut

https://doi.org/10.15311/selcukdentj.1055729

Abstract

Background: To investigate whether there is a change in the attitudes and behaviors of Turkish dentists during their dental procedures against the COVID 19 pandemic.
Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey study was directed using a “Google Form” to obtain responses from dentists during February and March 2021. The survey was composed of 4 parts including: 1. demographic data (age, sex, marital status, systemic health), scope of practice (general dental practitioner versus specialist), place of practice (private versus public), and experience; 2. questions about COVID-19 management in practice and clinic biosafety routine, 3. questions about measures taken in dentistry clinics against COVID-19 and 4. questions about knowledge, attitudes and concerns of dentists towards the COVID 19 pandemic.
Results: A total of 556 dentists completed questionnaire. The rate of questioning the HES code, temperature measurement and wanting each patient to rinse their mouth with anti-bacterial mouthwash before treatment were higher for specialist dentists (p<0.05). Dentists working in government institutions performed only emergency treatments at a higher rate during the pandemic (p<0.001). Those with 0-10 years of professional experience were more afraid of transmitting the COVID-19 infection to their family/relatives, which they may get while examining/treating patients (p=0.005), and more afraid of being quarantined if they become infected with COVID-19 (p=0.043).
Conclusion: Although the answers given by the dentists to the questions about their emotional and anxiety states mostly differ according to the institution they work for, there was no significant difference between the answers given by being a specialist or practicing dentist.

Keywords

COVID-19, dentists, fear, survey

Supporting Institution

None declared

Project Number

None declared

Thanks

None declared

COVID-19 salgını Türk diş hekimlerinin diş hekimliği uygulamalarında klinik tutumlarını ve kaygı düzeylerini ne kadar etkiliyor?

Abstract

Amaç: Türk diş hekimlerinin COVID-19 pandemisine karşı diş hekimliği uygulamaları sırasında tutum ve davranışlarında bir değişiklik olup olmadığını araştırmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: Şubat ve Mart 2021'de "Google Formu" kullanılarak web tabanlı bir kesitsel anket çalışması diş hekimlerine yönlendirilmiştir. Anket, aşağıdakileri içeren 4 bölümden oluşmaktadır: 1. demografik veriler (yaş, cinsiyet, medeni durum, sistemik sağlık), uygulama kapsamı (uzman dişhekimi), uygulama yeri (özel veya kamu) ve deneyim; 2. Uygulamada COVID-19 yönetimi ve klinik biyogüvenlik rutini hakkında sorular, 3. COVID-19'a karşı diş hekimliği kliniklerinde alınan önlemler hakkında sorular ve 4. Diş hekimlerinin COVID-19 pandemisine yönelik bilgi, tutum ve endişeleri hakkında sorulardır.
Bulgular: Toplam 556 diş hekimi anketi tamamlamıştır. Tedavi öncesi HES kodunu sorgulama, ateş ölçümü ve her hastanın anti bakteriyel gargara ile ağzını çalkalamasını isteme oranı uzman diş hekimlerinde daha yüksektir (p<0.05). Devlet kurumlarında çalışan diş hekimleri pandemi döneminde daha yüksek oranda sadece acil tedavi uygulamıştır (p<0.001). 0-10 yıl mesleki deneyime sahip olanlar, hastaları muayene/tedavi ederken karşılaşabilecekleri COVID-19 enfeksiyonunu ailelerine/akrabalarına bulaştırmaktan daha çok korkmuşlardır (p=0.005) ve COVID-19 ile enfekte olurlarsa karantinaya alınmaktan da daha fazla endişe etmişlerdir (p=0.043).
Sonuç: Diş hekimlerinin duygu ve kaygı durumları ile ilgili sorulara verdikleri cevaplar çoğunlukla çalıştıkları kuruma göre farklılık göstermekle birlikte, uzman veya pratisyen diş hekimi olarak verdikleri cevaplar arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır.

Keywords

Anket, COVID-19, diş hekimleri, korkmak

Project Number

None declared

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