EFFECT OF TURKISH DENTAL EDUCATION ON THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS ABOUT EMERGENCY DENTAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) first appeared in December 2019 and spread to many countries in a short time. Thus, it has been decided to limit dental visits only to emergency dental practices (EDA), and to postpone non-emergency and non-compulsory dental practices to a later date. In this survey study; our aim is to determine the level of knowledge of dentistry students about EDA and to contribute to the literature by determining the adequacy of dental education in this field. Subjects and Methods: The questionnaire that was prepared using Google Forms was sent to dental students in Turkey by WhatsApp, email, and private social platforms. First part of the questionnaire included basic questions that provide demographic data and the questions about EDA in the second part. Results: A total of 1452 dentistry students, 558 males and 894 females, with a mean age of 38 ± 21.15, participated in the survey study. It was found that the EDA knowledge level of female participants was significantly higher than that of male participants (p<0.05). When the knowledge scores of the students in the 1st grade are compared with the knowledge scores of the students in the 5th grade, there is a statistically significant difference (p <0.05). Conclusion: Education of dentistry in Turkey is contributing to the students about the EDA. It gives students the ability to evaluate acute and non-acute situations. In this way, non-acute treatments can be delayed and the risk of COVID-19 transmission can be reduced and individuals who really need treatment are not deprived of treatment.

Keywords

• Emergency Dental Applications
• Covid-19
• Pandemic

References

1. 1. Chen L, Liu W, Zhang Q, Xu K, Ye G, Wu W, et al. RNA based mNGS approach identifies a novel human coronavirus from two individual pneumonia cases in 2019 Wuhan outbreak.Emerg Microbes Infect.2020;9:313-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2020.1725399
2. 2. Phelan AL, Katz R, Gostin LO. The novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China: challenges for global health governance. JAMA. 2020;323:709-10. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.1097
3. 3. World Health Organization – WHO. Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-10). 2020 May 11. Available from: https://www.who. int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen 4. American Dental Association – ADA. ADA.org: What Constitutes a Dental Emergency? (for Dentists) (libertydentalplan.com)
4. 5. Zhong BL, Luo W, Li HM, Zhang QQ, Liu XG, Li WT, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among Chinese residents during the rapid rise period of the COVID-19 outbreak: a quick online cross-sectional survey. Int J Biol Sci. 2020;16:1745.
5. 6. Harrel SK, Molinari J. Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: a brief review of the literature and infection control implications. J Am Dent Assoc. 2004;135:429-37. https://doi.org/10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0207
6. 7. Duruk G, Gumusboga ZS, and Colak C. Investigation of Turkish dentists’ clinical attitudes and behaviors towards the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey study. Braz oral res [online]. 2020;34:e054.https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-2020. vol34. 0054.
7. 8. Taber KS. The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education; 2018;48:1273-96.
8. 9. Carrouel F, Gonçalves LS, Conte MP, Campus G, Fisher J, Fraticelli L, et al. Antiviral Activity of Reagents in Mouth Rinses against SARS-CoV-2. J Dent Res. 2020; 0022034520967933. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520967933

9. 10. Aras A, Akyol S, And Yildiz S. Evaluation of the Knowledge Levels of the Turkish Population on Emergency Dentistry Practices Determined After the COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Harran University Medical Faculty. 2020;17:360-5