Fear of general public towards dental treatment during COVID-19 Pandemic- A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background: Covid 19 is highly contagious. Unfortunately,  Dental clinic becomes a high risk center for the potential spread of Covid-19 through the aerosols and droplets generated during dental procedure.

Aim: To assess the  knowledge, perception, attitude of the general population towards dental treatment during COVID 19 pandemic period.

Methods: The cross sectional study was conducted online through pre-tested questionnaires circulated among the general public to assess their attitude towards dental treatment during COVID outbreak. Data tabulation and analysis was done using IBM SPSS software (version 21).The association between parameters were performed using chi-square test.If the p value is less than than 0.05 then it was considered significant.

Results: A total of 100 participants responded. 52% of males and 48% of females. 83.9% showed a fear attitude towards dental treatment during COVID 19 pandemic period.76% of them hesitate to take elderly/children to dental treatment during a covid pandemic.68% of them had visited dentist during covid 19 pandemic and 32% didn’t visit dentist during covid.51% of Males compared to 45% female ask their dentist about the sterilization protocol followed in the clinic(p value= 0.278).50% of Males and 45% of females were aware that aerosol is the common route for covid 19(P value= 0.479). All the common preventive measures were mostly followed by both male (51%) and females (47%) (P value= 0.367).

Conclusion: The study records an overall reluctance and fear of the general public in undergoing dental procedure during Covid outbreak. Dentists should take the additional measures to devise  protocols that inhibit cross-infection and educate the patients about having safe treatment during Covid-19 pandemic period.