Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Infection Control among Dental Healthcare Personnel: The Updated Guidelines for COVID-19 in Dental Settings

Aim: The study sought to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control among dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) in dental settings, with updated guidelines and recommendations regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Materials and methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study. A self-administrative online survey consisting of 45 close-ended statements was prepared, validated, and revised by an expert panel, and pilot tested with a convenience sample. The survey comprised four parts covering the following aspects: demographic data, infection control facilities in the dental office, knowledge of infection control measures, and attitude toward infection control. Data were collected, analyzed, and presented as frequencies and percentages or means and standard deviations, when applicable. The independent t-test or analysis of variance (ANOVA), as appropriate, were used for differences in knowledge and attitude scores between the groups, with the significance level of p-value < 0.05.

Results: Out of 176 participants, 54 (30.7%) were men, and 122 (69.3%) were women. A total of 143 participants were dental practitioners (81.3%), and more than half [94 (53.4%)] were from governmental universities, followed by those from government dental clinics [44 (25%)]. In general, most participants acknowledged the infection control facilities in their dental offices. Dental assistants, respondents working in private universities, and respondents working in the eastern region showed better knowledge than their counterparts (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were noticed between the different groups concerning attitude toward infection control (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The participants exhibited acceptable knowledge and attitude, with respondents from private universities and dental assistance attaining better knowledge scores. More infection control programs and training courses should be implemented in dental settings.