"We will have to learn to live with it": Australian dentists' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Shizar Nahidi; Cecilia Li; Cristina Sotomayor-Castillo; Keren Kaufman-Francis; Ramon Z Shaban

doi:10.1016/j.idh.2021.11.001

"We will have to learn to live with it": Australian dentists' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Infect Dis Health. 2022 May;27(2):96-104. doi: 10.1016/j.idh.2021.11.001. Epub 2021 Nov 27.

Authors

Shizar Nahidi¹, Cecilia Li², Cristina Sotomayor-Castillo³, Keren Kaufman-Francis⁴, Ramon Z Shaban⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: shizar.nahidi@sydney.edu.au.
² Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: cecilia.z.li@sydney.edu.au.
³ Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: cristina.sotomayor@sydney.edu.au.
⁴ Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: kfra3613@sydney.edu.au.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Division of Infectious Diseases and Sexual Health, Westmead Hospital and Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW, Australia; New South Wales Biocontainment Centre, Western Sydney Local Health District and New South Wales Health, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: ramon.shaban@sydney.edu.au.

Abstract

Background: Australian dentists are among the frontline healthcare workers providing dental and oral health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore have been affected in multiple ways. In this study, we explore their experiences of practising and living in this pandemic.

Methods: A qualitative study analysed responses of 333 Australian dentists' who participated in a survey with open-ended questions about the challenges and positive outcomes of practising during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions were embedded in a national online survey of Australian dentists' knowledge, preparedness and experiences conducted between March and April 2021. Data were analysed using content analysis.

Results: Australian dentists reported their challenging experiences to be four-fold, including 'public health orders and restrictions', 'Infection prevention and control measures (IPC), 'Personal concerns about COVID-19' and 'Detracting opinions about COVID-19'. Conversely, they reported positive outcomes in relation to their practice during COVID-19, including 'Awareness of and adherence to IPC practices', 'Teamwork and interpersonal dynamics', 'Decompressed workload', 'Perceived support' and 'unintended positive outcomes'.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic generated several challenges for Australian dentists, but it also engendered some positive outcomes. Understanding of these can help tailor the professional support plans to address the needs and priorities of Australian dentists during the current and future pandemics.

Keywords: Australia; COVID-19; Dentists; Experiences; Pandemic; Qualitative research.

MeSH terms

Australia / epidemiology
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Dentists
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Pandemics* / prevention & control
SARS-CoV-2