Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Bharatpur Samudayik Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College Of Medical Sciences-Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal.
Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2020;18(70):3-9.
Background Coronavirus Disease, 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious respiratory disease with high transmissibility. Dentists are at inherent risk because of aerosol generating procedures exposing dentists to the respiratory and oral secretions of the patients. Objective To assess the knowledge, awareness, and practice (KAP) of the Dentists to combat the pandemic which could help shape future guidelines and policies to be implemented in dental settings. Method This cross-sectional descriptive study included series of multiple-choice questions distributed online, assessing dentists' KAP towards COVID-19, its impact on dentistry and their psychological well-being. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 20 for mac Operating System (OS). Descriptive statistics was performed, and frequencies of responses were reported in proportion. Non-parametric tests of independence and Chi-square test were performed to see the association between the categorical variables. Result Around 84% of the respondents accurately answered mode of transmission, 68% inquired about the travel history while only 49% measured the body temperature. Also, only 42% were receiving salary. A statistically significant difference concerning impact and practice during the COVID-19 was observed between general practitioner and specialist working at different work places. Conclusion Majority of Dentists have good knowledge and awareness but there were certain pitfalls in attitude and practice level calling out for more efficient training programs, precise guidelines, and treatment protocols to put into practice. Also, the mental distress and the financial impact subjected upon dentist require to be further explored determining the association between their mental health during and post COVID-19 outbreak.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）是一种具有高度传染性的呼吸道疾病，传染性很强。由于产生气溶胶的程序会使牙医接触到患者的呼吸和口腔分泌物，因此牙医面临固有风险。目的：评估牙医对抗大流行的知识、意识和实践（KAP），这有助于制定未来在牙科环境中实施的准则和政策。方法：本横断面描述性研究包括一系列在线多项选择题，评估牙医对 COVID-19 的 KAP 及其对牙科和心理健康的影响。使用 SPSS（社会科学统计软件包）20 版 for mac 操作系统进行统计分析。采用描述性统计方法，以比例报告响应频率。进行了独立的非参数检验和卡方检验，以观察分类变量之间的关联。结果：约 84%的受访者准确回答了传播方式，68%询问了旅行史，而只有 49%测量了体温。此外，只有 42%的人在领薪。在 COVID-19 期间，普通从业者和专科医生在不同工作场所的影响和实践方面存在统计学显著差异。结论：大多数牙医都有良好的知识和意识，但在态度和实践水平上存在一定的缺陷，需要开展更有效的培训计划、制定更精确的准则和治疗方案来付诸实践。此外，牙医所面临的精神困扰和经济影响需要进一步探讨，以确定他们在 COVID-19 爆发期间和之后的心理健康状况之间的关联。
