Dental patients' attitudes towards COVID-19 infection-control procedures in king Hussein medical centre

Abstract EN

Objectives : to explore their attitudes towards infection-control procedures; to investigate patients’ trust in dentists’ knowledge regarding covid-19; and to explore dental care-seeking behavior among dental patients in king Hussein medical centre.

methods : this study was based on a descriptive cross-sectional survey.

data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 17 closed questions.

the questions were designed to collect data about the following: patient demographics; dental care-seeking behavior during the pandemic, preventative measures implemented in dental clinics and patients’ attitudes towards prevention measures.

results : five hundred patients participated in this study.

almost half of all participants perceived dental clinics as a high-risk place for covid-19 transmission.

seven out of ten participants reported being afraid of visiting a dental clinic during the pandemic, and eight out of tenreported visiting a dental clinic only in an emergency.

one out of four patients thought that there should be even more protection procedures in dental clinics.

around 80% of the participants stated that they think it is acceptable to delay routine dental visits during lockdown, and 85% stated that triage procedures are effective against covid-19.

conclusion : dental patients in king Hussein medical centre strongly support the new protection measures implemented to minimize the risk of sars-cov-2 transmission, and they have a high degree of trust in the knowledge of their dentists regarding covid-19.

patients’ involvement in protection measures and the use of new technology and innovations could provide effective and practical solutions to the challenges of dental care during and after the covid-19 pandemic.