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2nd Edition of The Impact of COVID-19 on Dentistry and Oral Health: A Global Perspective

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Oral Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 9568

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: oral medicine; dental materials; operative dentistry; oral health
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Guest Editor
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Antioquia, Calle 70 # 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
Interests: social inequalities in oral health; qualitative research in dentistry; systematic reviews; public health dentistry; social epidemiology; migration and oral health; oral epidemiology; life course approaches in oral health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The scientific panorama around the world changed substantially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Especially in dentistry, where dental staff suddenly found themselves at high risk of contracting COVID-19 because of close face-to-face contact with patients and constant exposure to fluids, several recommendations and dental care protocols were established to increase biosecurity among both public and private oral health services. In addition, social isolation measures were implemented, although with differences in the type of restrictions and in the application times of these measures. These changes have introduced various restrictions in the field of oral healthcare. In this context, the social, labor, and health conditions of dental health workers have changed dramatically; similarly, the oral epidemiologic profile may be affected in different population groups, and a possible increase in oral health inequities has been identified.

In the first edition of this issue, 11 articles were published, and several topics were addressed, such as the impact of COVID-19 on aspects such as the mental conditions of dentists, dental nurses, and students, the practice of clinical specialties such as orthodontics, or infection rates among dental practitioners examined through epidemiological studies.

We are now pleased to invite researchers around the world to submit different methodological and conceptual approaches to this second edition of the Special Issue with the goal of further expanding the literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental staff and the oral health epidemiological conditions of different social groups. Systematic/narrative reviews, epidemiological characterizations, and quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Gianrico Spagnuolo
Dr. Andrés Alonso Agudelo-Suárez
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • dentistry
  • oral health
  • dental caries
  • periodontal disease
  • SARS-CoV-2 infection
  • coronavirus
  • qualitative research
  • dental research
  • mixed methods

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 324 KiB  
Article
Infection Control in Dental Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Is Changed?
by Mario Caggiano, Alfonso Acerra, Stefano Martina, Marzio Galdi and Francesco D’Ambrosio
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3903; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053903 - 22 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2924
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed our lives. Since the SARS-CoV-2 was discovered, many studies have been done on the transmission mode, its replication within humans, and its survival even in the outside environment and on inanimate surfaces. Undoubtedly, health care workers have [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed our lives. Since the SARS-CoV-2 was discovered, many studies have been done on the transmission mode, its replication within humans, and its survival even in the outside environment and on inanimate surfaces. Undoubtedly, health care workers have faced the greatest risks because of their close contact with potentially infected patients. Of these, dental health care professionals are certainly among the most vulnerable categories, precisely because infection occurs with the airborne virus. The treatment of patients within the dental office has changed profoundly, respecting all preventive measures towards the patient and the practitioners themselves. The aim of this paper is to understand whether the protocols changed for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection among dentists remained even after the most acute phase of the pandemic. In particular, this study analyzed habits, protocols, preventive measures, and any costs incurred in the COVID-19 era for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection among dental workers and patients. Full article
12 pages, 373 KiB  
Article
State of the Oral Implantology Practice in Spain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey
by Ángel-Orión Salgado-Peralvo, Daniel Fernández-Cerero, Alvaro Garcia-Sanchez, Naresh Kewalramani, Eugenio Velasco-Ortega, Álvaro Jiménez-Guerra, Iván Ortiz-García, Jesús Moreno-Muñoz, Enrique Núñez-Márquez, José López-López and Loreto Monsalve-Guil
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1743; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031743 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1447
Abstract
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, strict measures of confinement and social distancing were taken. Dentists were considered essential personnel and their activity was restricted to emergency treatment. The present observational study aims to determine the situation of oral implantology practice in [...] Read more.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, strict measures of confinement and social distancing were taken. Dentists were considered essential personnel and their activity was restricted to emergency treatment. The present observational study aims to determine the situation of oral implantology practice in Spain during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional observational study based on the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. An electronic survey consisting of three blocks of questions was sent to all members of the Spanish Society of Implants. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. A total of 237 participants (14.3%) responded to the questionnaire. The majority of participants (60.8%) only attended emergencies during the first 9 months of the pandemic. Despite this, 77.2% reported having performed dental implant surgeries and 75.5% indicated that they performed non-essential treatments. The activity was fully recovered by 64.1% of the surveyed dentists. The majority of dentists (90.7%) considered that sufficient/adequate preventive measures were carried out at their workplace, which possibly contributed to the fact that 49.3% were not afraid of becoming infected. This concern was significantly and directly proportionally associated with the age of the surveyed dentists. The oral implant practice was affected to a greater extent during the first 9 months of the pandemic, especially in urban areas, with a greater impact on the workload of professionals with less specialised training in oral implantology. Full article
12 pages, 391 KiB  
Article
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Oral Health Workforce: A Multicenter Study from the Southern Region of Brazil
by Cristine Maria Warmling, Rubens Spin-Neto, Luciana Zambillo Palma, Manoelito Ferreira Silva-Junior, Renata Goulart Castro, Mirelle Finkler, Márcia Helena Baldani and Fernando Valentim Bitencourt
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021301 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2401
Abstract
The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to describe the surveillance and biosafety measures adopted by dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants who worked in the Southern Region of Brazil and (2) to evaluate access to information in the context of the [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to describe the surveillance and biosafety measures adopted by dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants who worked in the Southern Region of Brazil and (2) to evaluate access to information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a multicenter and cross-sectional design, using a self-applied and validated online questionnaire. The availability of health-care-related supplies and the adoption of biosafety measures recommended by the Technical Note of the National Health Surveillance Agency No. 04/2020 were analyzed. A total of 2560 Brazilian workers participated (75.8% dentists, 15.7% dental assistants and 8.5% dental hygienists), 52.7% from the public and 37.7% from the private sector. Approximately 70% of the individuals reported being away from work during the pandemic. The surveillance measures adopted with higher mean scores were the investigation of respiratory infection symptoms when scheduling appointments and the adoption of distancing in the waiting room. Of the biosafety measures to avoid aerosols, the procedures with lower compliance were those related to the use of intraoral radiographs and rubber dams. Moreover, the correct use of personal protective equipment at work seems to be related to self-perceived stress and anxiety. Worryingly, high access to information through non-governmental documents was observed. Permanent health education policies should reinforce safe practices and encourage workers to implement biosafety and surveillance measures in health services. Full article
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22 pages, 812 KiB  
Article
Quality of Life and Related Factors in Specialists on Pediatric Dentistry and the like Graduated from a Public University: A Mixed Methods Approach
by Ariana Amariles-Baena, Catalina Sosa-Palacio and Andrés A. Agudelo-Suárez
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13107; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013107 - 12 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1826
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) in pediatric dentistry specialists and the like, graduated in a public university between 1972 and 2018. A mixed study (explanatory sequential design) was conducted. Firstly, a cross-sectional survey ( [...] Read more.
This study aims to analyze the factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) in pediatric dentistry specialists and the like, graduated in a public university between 1972 and 2018. A mixed study (explanatory sequential design) was conducted. Firstly, a cross-sectional survey (n = 62, 51% women) was carried out and complemented with three focus groups (FGs) and four semi-structured interviews (SIs). Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyzes and non-parametric correlation were calculated. A multivariate linear regression was carried out to establish the factors associated with QOL. In FGs, the concept of QOL and the factors that influence it was investigated, by following a qualitative content analysis and later the information was triangulated. The median QOL scores surpass 62 points. The multivariate analysis showed that the factors exerted the greatest influence negatively (decreases the QOL score) were: having an independent or service provision contract (p < 0.05), low social support (p < 0.001), job dissatisfaction (p < 0.01), poor mental health (p < 0.01), self-perceived poor general health (p < 0.01). The information from the FGs and interviews allow to establish three categories of analysis: (1) QOL and health: multiple facets, determinants, and dimensions; (2) encounters and disagreements between the postgraduate curricular training proposal and the labor and social field of the specialist; (3) an itinerant clinical specialization. The QOL of participants is considered good in general terms and is conditioned by subjective factors, the social environment, and the conditions of their professional work. Full article
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