COVID-19 Outbreak Perception in Italian Dentists

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for healthcare professionals, including dentists.
• Understanding dentists' knowledge, risk perception, and preparedness is crucial for ensuring safe dental practice continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Italian dentists' knowledge of COVID-19.
• To assess their perception of COVID-19 risks and attitudes towards resuming dental activities.
• To gauge their views on institutional health and economic interventions.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study was conducted among 1500 Italian dentists between April 11-18, 2020.
• The survey covered sociodemographic data, professional characteristics, COVID-19 knowledge (transmission, symptoms), and attitudes towards treating potentially infected patients.
• Statistical analyses included the Pearson chi-squared test and Student t-test.

Main Results:

• While 64.3% received infection prevention training, only 48.7% had specific COVID-19 training.
• 57.2% felt insufficiently trained to resume work post-lockdown, with women (62.3%) reporting this more than men (50.9%).
• Dentists correctly understood transmission but missed some symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Italian dentists possessed general transmission knowledge but had gaps in recognizing COVID-19 symptoms.
• A significant portion felt unprepared to work safely, highlighting concerns about infection control, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and practice economics.
• Clearer institutional guidelines are needed to address dentists' health and economic apprehensions.