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International Scientific Indexing (ISI) Indexed Journal Applied Medical Research ISSN: 2149 - 2018
Applied Medical Research. 2021; 8(2):(127-176)


Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Surgeons in Jhanshi and Datia 2 nearby District

Laxman Singh Kaira, Atul pratap singh kushwah* and K S Negi

Abstract
A new coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) was detected in China at the end of 2019 and has since caused a worldwide pandemic. The Sars-CoV-2 is highly infective through airborne contamination, the high infection risk in the dental environment is a serious problem for both professional practitioners and patients. Present study was done to evaluate the impact of Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental practice by conducting an online questionnaire among the dental practitioners of 2 nearby districts of Jhanshi and Datia. Methods: A Questionnaire based study was done among the dentists of 2 nearby districts. The study included questions that evaluate the dentists’ knowledge, perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on their personal life, financial status, and the quality of dental services for patients. Results: A total of 178 dentists contributed to this study (134 general dentist and 44 Specialist). The majority of the participants (n = 146, 82 %) did not perform any non-emergency procedures during the pandemic. The general dental practitioners have employed standard treatment protocols and SOPS( Standard Operating Protocols) to decrease the risk of transmission, like scheduling minimum treatment durations (n = 76, 48%), proper diagnosis and check up of patients (n = 118, 66%), and using recent personal protective equipment (n = 83, 47%). However, most of the dentists (n=164 , 92%) had financial and availability problems of personal protective equipment during the pandemic. Most, 95% (n = 170) of the participants reported that they encountered a decrease in their financial income since the eruption of the pandemic. Conclusion: The practice of dentistry involves the use of rotary dental and surgical instruments, such as airotors or ultrasonic scalers and air-water syringes. These instruments create a visible spray that can contain particle droplets of water, saliva, blood, microorganisms, and other debris. Surgical masks protect mucous membranes of the mouth and nose from droplet spatter, but they do not provide complete protection against inhalation of infectious agents. Thus, dental practitioners need to execute the standard operating protocols (SOPS) more cautiously during the pandemic. This includes reducing the treatment hours and limiting dental procedures to only emergency treatments to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.