Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study
Abstract Background The cross-infection created between dental staff and patients by COVID-19 had no established protocols for the dental problems caused by the pandemic. Hence, the dentists’ knowledge regarding the oral symptoms of COVID-19 were assessed. Objective This study reviewed the knowledge...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | BMC Research Notes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07367-0 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849238046480793600 |
|---|---|
| author | Swati Bhatnagar Shushma Rao B. Rahul Srivastava Niharicka Gopalakrishnan Ramya Shenoy Roma Mascarenhas |
| author_facet | Swati Bhatnagar Shushma Rao B. Rahul Srivastava Niharicka Gopalakrishnan Ramya Shenoy Roma Mascarenhas |
| author_sort | Swati Bhatnagar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The cross-infection created between dental staff and patients by COVID-19 had no established protocols for the dental problems caused by the pandemic. Hence, the dentists’ knowledge regarding the oral symptoms of COVID-19 were assessed. Objective This study reviewed the knowledge regarding oral manifestations of COVID-19 among dentists and the effect of waves 1 and 2 on dental community. Methods In phase I, a cross-sectional survey with standardised and validated questionnaire was distributed among dentists using social media. In phase II, a qualitative in-depth interview of 8 dental clinicians (samples due to data saturation) was done to investigate the effects waves 1 and 2 on dentistry. Descriptive data was analysed via chi-square tests and Phase II analysis was carried out via Atlas-Ti software. Results About 84.4% dental surgeons, 15 (3.7%) BDS, 48 (11.9%) MDS aspirants had good knowledge about the basic details and the oral manifestations of COVID-19, and the results were statistically significant with the participants’ knowledge about COVID-19 (p = 0.001), oral manifestations (p = 0), recommended personal prevention (p = 0.01), the necessity of RT‒PCR (p = 0) and disease fatality (p = 0.015). In phase II, four themes were formed from interviews: Source of 1st information, Outlook towards COVID-19, Impact and Self-retrospection. Conclusion This study highlights the knowledge assessment among dental clinicians on the requirement of educational training programs about infection control practices to be followed in dentistry. The in-depth interviews of the dental clinicians revealed the need for strict infection control protocols following the pandemic. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-05944e31522145d6830530bc918fcc3d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Research Notes |
| spelling | doaj-art-05944e31522145d6830530bc918fcc3d2025-08-20T04:01:47ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002025-07-0118111110.1186/s13104-025-07367-0Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded studySwati Bhatnagar0Shushma Rao B.1Rahul Srivastava2Niharicka Gopalakrishnan3Ramya Shenoy4Roma Mascarenhas5Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationM Public Health, University of AdelaideManipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationDepartment of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationDepartment of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationAbstract Background The cross-infection created between dental staff and patients by COVID-19 had no established protocols for the dental problems caused by the pandemic. Hence, the dentists’ knowledge regarding the oral symptoms of COVID-19 were assessed. Objective This study reviewed the knowledge regarding oral manifestations of COVID-19 among dentists and the effect of waves 1 and 2 on dental community. Methods In phase I, a cross-sectional survey with standardised and validated questionnaire was distributed among dentists using social media. In phase II, a qualitative in-depth interview of 8 dental clinicians (samples due to data saturation) was done to investigate the effects waves 1 and 2 on dentistry. Descriptive data was analysed via chi-square tests and Phase II analysis was carried out via Atlas-Ti software. Results About 84.4% dental surgeons, 15 (3.7%) BDS, 48 (11.9%) MDS aspirants had good knowledge about the basic details and the oral manifestations of COVID-19, and the results were statistically significant with the participants’ knowledge about COVID-19 (p = 0.001), oral manifestations (p = 0), recommended personal prevention (p = 0.01), the necessity of RT‒PCR (p = 0) and disease fatality (p = 0.015). In phase II, four themes were formed from interviews: Source of 1st information, Outlook towards COVID-19, Impact and Self-retrospection. Conclusion This study highlights the knowledge assessment among dental clinicians on the requirement of educational training programs about infection control practices to be followed in dentistry. The in-depth interviews of the dental clinicians revealed the need for strict infection control protocols following the pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07367-0COVID-19Embedded studyDentistAwarenessKnowledgeOral health |
| spellingShingle | Swati Bhatnagar Shushma Rao B. Rahul Srivastava Niharicka Gopalakrishnan Ramya Shenoy Roma Mascarenhas Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study BMC Research Notes COVID-19 Embedded study Dentist Awareness Knowledge Oral health |
| title | Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study |
| title_full | Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study |
| title_short | Assessment of dentists’ knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of COVID-19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in India - an embedded study |
| title_sort | assessment of dentists knowledge and awareness of oral manifestations of covid 19 and the impact of pandemic waves on dental practice in india an embedded study |
| topic | COVID-19 Embedded study Dentist Awareness Knowledge Oral health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07367-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT swatibhatnagar assessmentofdentistsknowledgeandawarenessoforalmanifestationsofcovid19andtheimpactofpandemicwavesondentalpracticeinindiaanembeddedstudy AT shushmaraob assessmentofdentistsknowledgeandawarenessoforalmanifestationsofcovid19andtheimpactofpandemicwavesondentalpracticeinindiaanembeddedstudy AT rahulsrivastava assessmentofdentistsknowledgeandawarenessoforalmanifestationsofcovid19andtheimpactofpandemicwavesondentalpracticeinindiaanembeddedstudy AT niharickagopalakrishnan assessmentofdentistsknowledgeandawarenessoforalmanifestationsofcovid19andtheimpactofpandemicwavesondentalpracticeinindiaanembeddedstudy AT ramyashenoy assessmentofdentistsknowledgeandawarenessoforalmanifestationsofcovid19andtheimpactofpandemicwavesondentalpracticeinindiaanembeddedstudy AT romamascarenhas assessmentofdentistsknowledgeandawarenessoforalmanifestationsofcovid19andtheimpactofpandemicwavesondentalpracticeinindiaanembeddedstudy |