Journal of Oral Health and Community Dentistry

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VOLUME 14 , ISSUE 3 ( September-December, 2020 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Awareness and Attitude of Public towards Dental Procedures and Safety Protocols in COVID-19 Scenario: A Cross-sectional Study

Prakash Nidawani, Girish P Galagali, Vishnupriya B Seethapathy, Arun K Acharya, Santosh K Bung

Citation Information : Nidawani P, Galagali GP, Seethapathy VB, Acharya AK, Bung SK. Awareness and Attitude of Public towards Dental Procedures and Safety Protocols in COVID-19 Scenario: A Cross-sectional Study. J Oral Health Comm Dent 2020; 14 (3):97-103.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10062-0083

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 25-01-2021

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2020; The Author(s).


Abstract

Aim: To assess the awareness and attitude of public toward dental procedures and safety protocols in COVID-19 scenario in India Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among people from various regions of India in questionnaire format. It comprised 22-variable, structured, close-ended questions, and the respondents were divided based on their age, sex, educational qualification, and region. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. Results: In total, 1064 people participated from various regions of India. Most of the participants were postgraduates, and male-to-female ratio was almost equal. The major proportion of age group who responded was below 45 years. Almost 88.6% of the participants were aware that dentists are at higher risks and 87.6% of the people expect their dentists to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during treatment procedures. 81.8% of the people preferred cashless transaction as a modality of payment option in dental office. 66.8% of the people irrespective of their education level opted newspaper and print media as their major source of information for updating themselves and 83.3% of the participants opted online or telephonic appointment prior to visiting their dentists. Conclusion: We dentists being the healthcare professionals are at higher risks to various infectious diseases. So we should not panic and should continue our services toward the public health. We should also ensure that our practice is up-to-date to manage this pandemic crisis. Clinical significance: To give an insight into dental practitioners about prevailing awareness and understanding of public and their response in accepting dental care in this COVID pandemic scenario.


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